Free Electricity Up To 100 Units In Rajasthan: Ashok Gehlot's Big Announcement After PM's Rally

Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi sounded the poll bugle in Rajasthan, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday announced zero bill for users consuming up to 100 units of electricity every month in the state.

"After observing inflation relief camps and talking to the public, there was feedback that there should be a slight change in the slab-wise exemption in electricity bills. Feedback was also received from the public regarding the fuel surcharge in the electricity bills in the month of May, on the basis of which a big decision has been taken," Gehlot's said on Twitter.

He said that the first 100 units of electricity will be free and consumers have to pay fixed changes for the next 100 units, per month. However, all other charges will be waived off and will be paid by the state government, the Rajasthan Chief Minister stated.

This scheme is similar to Congress' free electricity guarantee to Karnataka voters in the recently-held election. In the poll manifesto, the grand old party had promised the people of giving 200 units of free electricity although it is now facing hiccups in the implementation of the programme.

This was one of the promises that connected well with the voters, according to poll pundits. It looks like Rajasthan Congress is trying to replicate the same in the poll-bound state.

In fact, Congress borrowed the free electricity idea from AAP's governments in Delhi and Punjab.

However, the big announcement from Gehlot came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress at a rally in Ajmer.

The PM said that Congress has a new formula of guarantees, which will leave the country "bankrupt." "This 'guarantee habit' of Congress is not new, it is old. 50 years back, Congress gave the 'garibi hatao' guarantee to the country. This is Congress party's biggest treachery with the poor. Congress' strategy has been to trick the poor. People of Rajasthan have suffered due to this," the Prime Minister said in a rally in Ajmer in Rajasthan.

On the other hand, this is the second major announcement from Gehlot ahead of polls this year. In January, he announced that families below the poverty line (BPL) and beneficiaries of the Ujjwala scheme in Rajasthan would get LPG cylinders for Rs 500.