How can political parties use welfare schemes for their own advantage during elections?

Political parties often use welfare schemes as tools to influence voters and gain electoral advantage. Schemes like MGNREGA, which provide direct benefits to rural populations, can be strategically utilized to create favorable public opinion and secure votes during elections. Here are some ways in which this can happen:

• Announcing New Schemes Before Elections: Parties may launch new welfare programs or expand existing ones just before elections to showcase their commitment to the welfare of the people and gain immediate public support.
• Promising Increased Benefits: Political leaders often promise higher wages, more job days, or additional entitlements under schemes like MGNREGA to attract voters, even if such promises may not be fiscally sustainable.
• Targeting Specific Groups: Welfare schemes may be tailored or publicized to benefit particular castes, communities, or regions that are seen as crucial vote banks, leading to selective implementation.
• Branding and Publicity: Parties may use extensive branding, such as putting up their leaders’ photos on scheme materials, to create a direct association between the benefits received and the party in power.
• Manipulating Beneficiary Lists: There can be manipulation in the selection of beneficiaries, with supporters of the ruling party getting preferential access to jobs or benefits, while others may be excluded.
• Delaying Payments or Implementation: Sometimes, the release of funds or implementation of schemes may be timed to coincide with the election period, so that the benefits are fresh in the minds of voters.
• Spreading Misinformation: Parties may exaggerate their role in creating or funding welfare schemes, or falsely claim credit for centrally sponsored programs, misleading voters about their actual contribution.

Such practices can undermine the real purpose of welfare schemes, leading to politicization and sometimes even exclusion of genuine beneficiaries who do not support the ruling party. This can affect the overall effectiveness and integrity of programs like MGNREGA.