Welfare or vote-fare? festival handouts in election-time
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It has become an inevitable trend during election season for those in power to make popular announcements just before the Model Code of Conduct comes into force. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been at the forefront of employing this strategy. In recent weeks, projects worth ₹7,200 crore for Bihar, which is heading to elections soon, and ₹5,400 crore for West Bengal, which faces elections next year, were announced with fanfare. The same tactic had been played out in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh, where it is believed to have aided in vote gathering. Naturally, pre-election financial aid and development announcements have been turned by those in power into major tools of electoral politics and regime continuity. Such measures, in effect, serve as little more than attempts to cover up the shortcomings of the current administration temporarily and to influence the public by throwing dust in their eyes. Now, the Chief Minister of Kerala too has announced several popular welfare schemes ahead of the local body elections. Studies have shown that such populist welfare announcements, often dismissed as political gimmicks, do influence ordinary people more effectively than promises made in election manifestos. Under the labels of social justice, welfare programs, and women’s empowerment, these initiatives, criticised as examples of “welfare populism”, also often succeed in softening public criticism against the government and in turning voter sentiment in its favour.
This culture of populist welfare politics and grandiose welfare declarations is nothing new. Though it may be described as a form of official corruption carried out for votes, many such programs have, at times, genuinely evolved into socially beneficial schemes that bring about real improvements in the lives of ordinary people. Though election-time promises tend to have only a short lifespan, they remain one of the most effective tools for garnering votes. The so-called festival allowances and incentives announced during elections are political bubbles that burst soon after and often serve as shortcuts to power. That is why even political parties that question the moral legitimacy of such moves or raise serious concerns about their impact on democracy, eventually resort to last-minute project announcements with enthusiasm. Introducing welfare schemes for the people and implementing them efficiently are, in fact, essential duties of any democratic government. This is the right way to realise the spirit of welfare programs. They should not be treated merely as election promises but should evolve into a culture and foundation of governance and development.
When economic responsibility and political neutrality can be maintained in such welfare schemes, the democratic ideal that the welfare of the people comes first becomes truly strengthened. If the Chief Minister’s new announcements can evolve as a genuine continuation of a welfare-oriented political culture, they could indeed bring a shine of hope to the faces of the people. Although there are concerns about whether the government has secured sufficient funds to sustain monthly payments, measures such as pension increase, benefiting around 6.3 million people, are vital steps toward social justice. However, the state’s financial situation remains extremely tenuous. Nearly 50% of the schemes announced in the last budget had to be cut down. Adding to that pressure is the Centre’s withdrawal or reduction of funds amounting to nearly ₹50,000 crore. Yet, Finance Minister Balagopal remains confident, asserting firmly that the government has already identified ways to overcome these challenges. However, in an era when election campaigns have turned into corporate events and vote gathering has become an exercise in social engineering, if this move is merely a strategic manoeuvre for electoral gain, the Left may end up paying a heavy price. When welfare or public good transforms into vote-fare, that is an election promise, what is lost in the process is the very soul of democracy.