In the last one month alone, the government has made a plethora of such announcements. It has been announced that the government would pay half of the power bills of farmers and that SC, ST students of engineering and medical graduation courses would be given laptops. Thousands of students who had obtained 85 per cent or above in class twelfth examination of MP Board of Secondary Education were handed over cheques of Rs. 25,000 each for buying laptops by the CM at a function at his residence. The government has also doubled the award money for players participating in international tournaments. The bonus on purchase of Wheat on MSP has been raised from Rs. 100 to 150 per quintal. Entry tax on Domestic LPG cylinders has been reduced, making subsidised cylinders cheaper by Rs. 20 and non-subsidised by Rs. 45. The stipends and scholarships of SC, ST students have been increased, in some cases even doubled.

There is little doubt that Chauhan seems to have a penchant for making announcements. Since he took over as Chief Minister in September 2005, Chauhan, according to estimates, has made more than 7500 announcements so far. As the polls draw closer, the Chief Minister is making announcements at a faster and still faster pace. Moreover, there is a discernible shift from policy announcements and decisions which would have a long-term benefit to decisions that would bring direct monetary benefits to the people — either in the form of more income or by way of reduced expenditure.

In fact, Shivraj Singh has very shrewdly linked even 'social sector' schemes with monetary benefits. Thus, the 'Ladli Laxmi' scheme, aimed at curbing female foeticide and infanticide, offers parents monetary benefit (Kisan Vikas Patra worth Rs one lakh) as an incentive for having a girl child. Similarly, the 'Kanyadaan’ scheme envisages the government chipping in to foot the marriage bill of the girls — one of the reasons why a female child is considered an economic burden. He also sought to undermine the importance of a son as a bread-provider to the parents in the evening of their life by launching a scheme promising pension for parents of single girl child. To increase female literacy rate, he provided bicycles to girl students. The ‘Tirth Darshan Yojana’ made it possible for elderly citizens to fulfill their desire of going on a pilgrimage without spending a penny from their pockets. The announcement that illegal colonies would be regularised and that no hutment would be removed also have a clear economic angle.

In this respect, he is emulating late Arjun Singh, whose, son, incidentally, is one of the CMs-in-waiting in the state. Arjun Singh had also achieved electoral successes by extending economic benefits to the aam aadmi. During his chief ministership in the early eighties, he came out with innovative schemes like giving jhuggi dwellers ownership over the land on which their dwellings were built and making rickshaw-pullers the owners of the rickshaws.

Chauhan is, obviously, hoping that when the voter enters the polling booth, he will remember the extra bucks in his pocket courtesy Chauhan and he will press the Lotus button without thinking twice. Amen, his partymen would say in chorus. (IPA Service)