LPG Subsidy Emerges As Biggest Wooing Sop This Season

Parties across the poll-bound states - Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Telangana - are trying to woo the voters by promising LPG subsidies.

In Rajasthan, the Congress has promised cooking gas cylinder at Rs 500. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has promised that 1.05 crore families will get LPG cylinders at Rs 500 when the Congress government is formed again in the state.

It has to be noted that the government started "Mehengai Rahat (inflation relief)" camps, offering subsidized cylinders at Rs 500 each, earlier this year.

Ahead of assembly elections, the MP government announced to provide LPG cylinders at a subsidised rate of Rs 450 under the Ujjwala Yojana and Ladli Behna Yojana. Likewise, Congress leader Kamal Nath promised to provide LPG cylinders at Rs 500 if his party comes to power.

Similarly, in Mizoram, the Congress has promised LPG cylinders at Rs 750 to AAY and PHH card holders and women-headed families. In Chhattisgarh, AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi promised to provide LPG cylinder at Rs 500 if the party retains power.

Whereas in Telangana, the ruling BRS has promised to provide gas cylinders for Rs 400 for all eligible families. This came after the Congress promised in its manifesto to give cooking gas to voters at Rs 500.

Apart from in Madhya Pradesh, where the BJP is in power, the saffron party has not declared any particular LPG subsidies elsewhere. Nonetheless, the BJP-led government at the Centre has recently introduced two extra LPG subsidies within the last three months under the Ujjwala Yojana. This scheme, initially launched in 2016 to subsidize new LPG connections, has facilitated the distribution of 9.65 crore LPG connections since its inception.

Nevertheless, the LPG subsidy has turned out to be the biggest wooing sop this season.