In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the Congress party has promised Rs 1 lakh per year for every graduate and diploma holder and Rs 1 lakh per year to women in every poor family. This is believed to have helped the Congress double its tally in the polls. The Aam Aadmi Party is ruling two states – Punjab and Delhi and it came into power after promising free electricity and water. In Karnataka, the Congress stormed into power after promising free bus rides, free electricity and Rs 2,000 per month to the woman head of a family. 

In Madhya Pradesh, the saffron party was locked against a formidable Congress. However, the BJP secured a landslide victory riding on the popularity of the Ladali Behan yojana under which women of the state get Rs 12,000 per month. In Uttarakhand, the BJP government already provides free electricity for up to 100 units. The Indian politics has seen a sharp rise of freebies being promised by the political parties. Even at the national level, the NDA government provides Rs 6,000 per year to farmers while the monthly ration has become free since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Lok Sabha poll setback has taught the BJP a hard lesson – when your rival is offering gold, you cannot win by offering dirt. Freebies politics has become the reality of Indian politics despite the states having strained finances and the NDA must abide by them to win the next polls. The learning is being implemented in Maharashtra first. CM Eknath Shinde-led government has not only emulated the Ladali Behan yojana but has gone a step further by introducing the Ladka Bhau yojana for students. 

While freebie politics has its own advantages and disadvantages, no political party can afford to ignore it in the current scenario. The BJP-led NDA should realise that people are paying almost twice the prices for most of the items compared to 2014, be it milk, petrol, LPG or many other household items. So, offering them some relief by means of free electricity, monthly financial aid or cheaper fuels. The Maharashtra’s move show that the NDA is realising its mistake and if that is the case, it’s people who will benefit the most.