Kartik Nijhawan,
In Punjab, Sukhbir Singh Badal led his party, the SAD, to victory with promises of not just continuing shagun schemes, cheap atta dal and pensions etc, but even adding more freebies to the list. In Lucknow, Akhilesh has given a new meaning to Lakhnavi Tehzeeb of Pehle Aap: he has told the young unemployed that they will get Rs 1,000 every month as long as they remain unemployed.
In Punjab, Sukhbir Singh Badal led his party, the SAD, to victory with promises of not just continuing shagun schemes, cheap atta dal and pensions etc, but even adding more freebies to the list. In Lucknow, Akhilesh has given a new meaning to Lakhnavi Tehzeeb of Pehle Aap: he has told the young unemployed that they will get Rs 1,000 every month as long as they remain unemployed.
When
the country celebrates the great achievement of these Young Turks, it
must also wonder why populist freebies have to be a part of the larger
package of promises of good governance.
Akhilesh
at 38 is the youngest CM that UP has got. He is being credited with
having done a lot of spadework to give the SP a brand new image of being
a progressive party that can be identified with English and laptops.
Success
should give young politicians courage to take risks. Both Sukhbir and
Akhilesh should now use their majorities and the new thinking that they
profess to have to end the culture of winning elections by giving out
doles.
If
Akhilesh reforms the future agenda of politics, people may even forgive
him for getting a Raja Bhaiya into his cabinet. But if he fails, then
the same don politician’s image will take centre stage.
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