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Congress and BJP play 'rice politics' in Chhattisgarh
Rice politics is being played out in poll-bound Chhattisgarh as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress try to outdo each other, promising heavily subsidised rice to woo voters.
- IANS
- Published: 00:01 November 12, 2008
Raipur : Rice politics is being played out in poll-bound Chhattisgarh as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress try to outdo each other, promising heavily subsidised rice to woo voters.
Chhattisgarh, with a population of 20.08 million, has about 50 per cent people living below the poverty line (BPL).
The Congress, desperate to stage a comeback, promised in its manifesto released on Friday to provide 35kg rice to all sections, except for income tax payers, at just Rs2 (Dh0.17) per kilogram if voted to power.
The move is aimed to counter the BJP government's existing scheme of 35kg rice a month at Rs3 a kilogram to about 3.6 million BPL families.
Since the state faces migration of thousands of poor people mainly from the vast southern Bastar and northern Surguja regions annually to other states and metros in search of jobs, the Congress' Rs2 a kilogram rice announcement sent the BJP into a tizzy.
The BJP came out with another plan. In its manifesto on Monday the party promised to provide rice for just Re1 a kilogram to 700,000 "poorest of the poor" and Rs2 a kilogram to all BPL families.
The scheme was launched in 2001 by the central government for the poorest of the poor households from the BPL category. Wheat is given to them at Rs2 per kilogram and rice at Rs3 per kilogram.
Chief Minister Raman Singh said: "The BJP does not believe in playing politics with poor people."
Poll rule: Minister arrested
Madhya Pradesh Tourism Minister Tukoji Rao Puar and a Bharatiya Janata Party candidate were arrested from Dewas town yesterday for allegedly misbehaving with an election official.
Police had on Sunday registered a complaint against Puar and BJP candidate Phool Chand Verma for obstructing government work.
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