Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar with Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey during a press conference for the announcement of schedule of Assembly elections in five States, in New Delhi, on October 9, 2023.
| Photo Credit: PTI
The announcement of schedule for the forthcoming election to the legislative assembly by the Election Commission of India is said to have come as a disappointment to the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) Government.
The State Government reportedly contemplated to hold a meeting of the Council of Ministers on September 29 for announcing certain policy decisions relating to new schemes as well as expediting the implementation of the ongoing schemes. All the departments were sounded about the Cabinet meeting and were asked to come up with comprehensive reports on the status of implementation of schemes under their purview so that improvements could be made.
However, the proposed Cabinet meeting could not take place as Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is reportedly indisposed. The Model Code of Conduct has become operational immediately after the announcement of the election schedule on Monday preventing the Government from announcing new schemes or forward looking statements.
Accordingly, the BRS will have to incorporate the proposed new schemes in its manifesto as it will not be in a position to announce any major schemes in the run up to the elections. The Government announced several schemes like Pay Revision Commission, 5% interim relief to the employees and creation of the employees healthcare trust and orders were issued accordingly.
Officials are of the view that the election code would not be an impediment in the implementation of Rythu Bandhu as the scheme has been operational since more than five years now as also the Dalit Bandhu for which disbursal of amounts to beneficiaries started ahead of the Huzurabad bye-elections. These schemes are likely to be implemented with full vigour once the formal clearance from the election authorities is received.
