The BJP recently suffered a rout in rural Karnataka. The election results were shocking, to say the least. It seems at least one state government run by the saffron party has got the memo.
The Maharashtra government has come out with a scheme named NaMo Shetkari Mahasamman Yojana under which about 1 core farmers in the state will be paid Rs 6,000 per year. The scheme has been in the works for the past few months. The sense of anxiety created by the recent Karnataka elections has expedited its rollout.
Money transfer schemes are popular in Telangana and Odisha as well. Farmers are a crucial vote bank. Without their support, it is extremely hard for any government to beat anti-incumbency. Gujarat is an exception, as the state is India's most urbanized one. BJP governments in states like Madhya Pradesh, too, have realized the importance of cash-transfer schemes.
Already, under a Central government scheme, farmers are getting financial transfers to the tune of Rs 6,000 per annum. The scheme, named KISAN, has been in force since early 2019.
