All posts tagged: election freebies

Delhi High Court Sends Ex-Judge’s ‘Freebies Are Corruption’ Plea To Top Court

Delhi High Court Sends Ex-Judge’s ‘Freebies Are Corruption’ Plea To Top Court

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to hear a petition filed by an ex-judge, Justice SN Dhingra, against freebies promised by the AAP, BJP, and Congress before last week’s Delhi election. In his complaint, Justice Dhingra alleged that such promises by political parties amounted to “corrupt practices”, as under the Representation of People Act. He sought directions to the Election Commission to investigate these promises and declare them ‘unconstitutional’, and also sought directions to prevent parties from collecting personal data of voters and sharing these with third parties. However, the petitioner was directed to approach the Supreme Court instead. This was after the Election Commission told the High Court a similar case is already pending in that forum. READ | AAP, BJP, Congress Offer Cash, Chase ‘Women Power’ In Delhi Poll In his complaint, Justice Dhingra referred to the three parties’ promise of direct cash transfers to eligible women voters; the AAP had promised Rs 2,100 per month and the Congress and BJP had promised Rs 2,500 each. Justice Dhingra argued these promises …

Poll-bound Rajasthan | Welfare state

Amidst a pre-election frenzy of welfare schemes and freebies, the Gehlot regime also enacts a couple of first-in-India bills FOURTH TERM IN MIND: CM Ashok Gehlot distributing social security pension in Sikar. ISSUE DATE: Aug 21, 2023 | UPDATED: Aug 11, 2023 16:13 IST Ascribe it to a genuine feel for the people or to plain shrewdness, but Ashok Gehlot has made social welfare a consistent focus of his administration. A special urgency to tend to the general weal seems to grip the Rajasthan chief minister especially before elections—a time such as now. Whether born of principle or exigency, this bent continues to give Rajasthan some pioneering policy moments. Back in 2011, during his second term, the Free Medicine Scheme was one such. More than an unthinking handout, it was an intervention that answered to a historical need, at a time when increasingly privatised healthcare was bleeding the mass of immiserated citizenry. Crafted around the procurement of generic medicines, it helped break the tyranny of huge mark-ups on branded drugs. Now, the budget session of …