DNA ANALYSIS: CM Vasundhara Raje takes bold steps to soothe ruffled feathers

Chief minister Vasundhara Raje on Monday presented the fifth budget of her current tenure for the year 2018-19. 

As expected, the poll year budget had sops and concessions aimed to satisfy all disgruntled sections and soothe ruffled feathers. 

At the same time, the budget showed visible signs of the bypoll fallout. Concerted effort to address issues being raised by the opposition were made. Farmers, industry, women, jobs, development, and infrastructure all got a share in the populist budget pie for the poll-bound state.     

In Rajasthan, farmers’ agitations have served to consolidate the opposition on a joint platform. From the Congress to Left and independent MLA Hanuman Beniwal; all have been successfully mobilizingthe rural population in their favour. Raje, in this budget, went the Union government way and announced sops galore for farmersin the budget. Small and marginal farmers have been offered a one-time loan waiver up to 50,000 on overdue and outstanding category. Apart from this, there are allocations for providing short-term crop loans, procuring gram and mustard under MSP, construction of farm ponds, subsidies for solar pump systems, subsidy for setting up gaushalas and even bio gas plant at the gaushalas to name a few. 

Jobs were an issue that the opposition had been raising to effectively put pressure on the government. In the budget, over 1.80 lakh employment opportunities have been announced in various sectors including education, revenue, police and medical departments. But it would be a challenge to effect these appointments on the short time line before the assembly polls.     

The recent bypolls saw a drastic sliding away of BJP’s traditional urban voters towards the Congress. The budget showed efforts to woo this core voter base through reduction in DLC rates and slashing of registry cost for affordable housing. There were no new taxes while subsidies were in abundance. No sector was left untouched; sports, tourism, roads, irrigation, mining lease and reduction in GST for some sectors were all included. Skill development, loans for youth, opportunities for self employment, subsidy on loan interest, free travel in state buses for those above 80 and students appearing for interviews for state jobs were all part of the budget announcements.      

Raje has always claimed that women have supported her in elections and this time there has been an effort to woo them too. Giving amajor incentive to them, the budget announced child care leave upto two years. Women in the age group of 15 to 45 will also get sanitary napkins. 

There is a substantial increase in the honorarium of the Anganwadi workers working under the women and child development; this comes after they had taken to the streets in protest.      

There was also going back to roots in budget 18-19 as schemes were announced in the name of senior leaders like Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Sundar Singh Bhandari. There were efforts to woo Rajputs and Brahmins, who have distanced from the BJP, through loans, incentives and self employment opportunities. 

For over two hours, chief minister Vasundhara Raje presented the budget. This budget reflects the pressure that the BJP government in Rajasthan faces as it gears up for assembly polls scheduled before the year comes to an end.

The budget could be seen as an effort to pull the wind out of the opposition’s sails. At the same time, it also raises question. The announcements are aplenty but is there time to implement them? Can the miles be covered to keep the promises; to emerge from the electoral woods dark and deep. Or is it too much offered a bit too late.

BALANCING ACT

• Concerted effort to address issues being raised by the opposition were made
   
• Farmers, industry, women, jobs, development, and infrastructure all got a share in the populist budget 
   
• But many are questioning: Is it too much, too late?