The Lok Sabha election dates have been officially announced, prompting all political parties to gear up for the upcoming contest. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set an ambitious target of over 400 seats for the National Democratic Alliance. Achieving this goal hinges significantly on winning a substantial number of seats in key states such as Uttar Pradesh. Consequently, both Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have adopted the slogan of “80 in 80” for UP.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is banking mainly on the huge population benefitted by Central and state governments’ welfare schemes in the past seven years to achieve 100 per cent success rate in UP in the Lok Sabha elections. This particular demographic, constituting the primary beneficiary class, holds significant sway in UP, surpassing any other caste or community in numbers.
Notably, this demographic openly supported Chief Minister Yogi during the 2022 assembly elections and could again play a pivotal role in ensuring Prime Minister Modi’s triumphant return to power for the third consecutive term.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, Chief Minister Yogi has endeavoured to extend the reach of both Central and state government schemes to every corner of the state. Up to 15 crore individuals benefit from the free ration provided by the government. The assistance is provided to all the disadvantaged and underprivileged sections of 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 previously backed Chief Minister Yogi in the 2022 elections and remain steadfast in their allegiance.
Furthermore, approximately 1.75 crore households in the state have received cooking gas (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 UP.
The beneficiary category encompasses families granted permanent residences under the PM Awas Yojana within the state. Approximately 56 lakh houses have been constructed during the tenure of the Yogi government, providing homes to individuals who previously resided in rented accommodations.
Furthermore, through the PM SVANidhi Yojana, loans have been extended to 17 lakh street vendors. Additionally, 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.
Additionally, numerous students benefit 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 multidimensional poverty line. Furthermore, various schemes such as Har Ghar Nal Yojana and electrification have facilitated the betterment of countless lives.
The Yogi administration 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.
Additionally, 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 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.
