2024 polls: Yogi Adityanath banks on beneficiaries of welfare schemes to gift UP's all 80 LS seats to PM Modi
With the BJP having adopted the slogan of '80 in 80' for Uttar Pradesh in the Lok Sabha elections, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is banking mainly on the huge population of beneficiaries of the Central and the state government's schemes in the past seven years to achieve 100 per cent success rate in Uttar Pradesh in the upcoming general elections.
Constituting the primary beneficiary class, this holds significant sway in Uttar Pradesh, cutting across caste or community in numbers.
The beneficiaries, known as 'labharthis', supported the BJP in the 2022 Assembly elections and could again play a pivotal role in ensuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi's return to power for the third consecutive term.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been working to extend the reach of both Central and state government schemes to every corner of the state.
According to a government spokesman, up to 15 crore individuals benefit from the free ration provided by the government.
The assistance is provided to all disadvantaged and underprivileged sections of the society irrespective of caste or community, they belong to, without any kind of discrimination.
Initiated during the Covid-19 pandemic to alleviate hardships, this scheme persists, garnering continued support from the populace who backed BJP in the 2022 elections and remain steadfast in their allegiance. Furthermore, approximately 1.75 crore households in the state have received LPG connections through the Central government's Ujjwala Scheme.
Additionally, the MNREGA scheme has provided immediate employment to a significant number of people in rural areas of Uttar Pradesh.
The beneficiary category encompasses families given permanent residences under the PM Awas Yojana within the state.
Approximately 56 lakh houses have been constructed during the tenure of the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government, providing homes to individuals who previously resided in rented accommodations.
Furthermore, through the PM SVANidhi Yojna, loans have been extended to 17 lakh street vendors.
Nearly 2.61 crore toilets have been constructed, while ownership certificates have been distributed to 66.59 lakh beneficiaries.
The government has supported 32.71 lakh destitute women and 50.21 lakh elderly individuals through old-age pensions.
Numerous students are benefitting from scholarships worth crores of rupees provided by the government annually.
As a result of these efforts of the government, six crore people in the state have transcended the multi-dimensional poverty line.
Furthermore, various schemes such as Har Ghar Nal Yojana and electrification have facilitated the betterment of countless lives.
The Yogi Adityanath government has undertaken extensive outreach efforts to engage with beneficiaries of both Central and state schemes.
Through this initiative, every beneficiary has been contacted, and their issues have been promptly addressed.
The continuity and smooth functioning of schemes catering to this demographic have been closely monitored to rectify any technical glitches that may arise.
Swift resolutions have been implemented for such issues. The government spokesman said the scheme implementation has prioritised transparency to ensure that only eligible individuals receive benefits.
Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) was introduced for this purpose, ensuring that the money was credited to beneficiaries' accounts directly, thereby eliminating the risk of swindling.