A war of words broke out between the BRS and the opposition Congress on Monday after the Election Commission ordered to stop the financial disbursement under the Telanagana government’s Rythu Bandhu scheme over violation of model code of conduct.

The development comes in the wake of Telangana minister T Harish Rao’s statements regarding disbursement of the scheme funds despite the model code of conduct (MCC) being enforced in the state due to the assembly polls.

The Rythu Bandhu scheme is a farmers investment support initiative by the BRS government under which each farmer receives Rs 10,000 every year in two installments.

In a notification, the poll body said it was informed on Sunday that Rao, the Minister of Finance and Health and Family Welfare, had made statements regarding disbursement of Rythu Bandhu scheme by a particular time before the date of poll, which is widely reported in newspapers and local media.

“Rao, who is a contesting candidate sponsored by the BRS (Bharat Rashtra Samithi) party from Siddipet Assembly constituency in the ongoing elections, is also a star campaigner of the party. He has not only violated the provisions of MCC contained in Para VII of model code of conduct, but also the conditions laid down as above by publicising the release under the scheme, and thereby disturbed the level playing field in the ongoing election process,” the Commission said.

While the move is seen as a huge setback for the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), the Congress hopes to capitalise from the situation.

The opposition party had apprehended a repeat of the 2018 assembly election when farmers standing in queue for polling were alerted by SMS notification about the money disbursed under Rythu Bandhu scheme credited into their accounts. A team of Congress leaders had even urged the poll panel that the amount under thge scheme be disbursed before November 15.

After the Election Commission (EC) approved the scheme disbursal on November 24, Harish Rao had announced in a campaign rally that despite complaints from the Congress in Delhi, they received approval for the disbursal and it would start from November 28. He even reminded the gathering that they would receive notifications in their phones as he mimicked the “ting ting” sound.

After the EC revoked the permission for the scheme, Rao once again blamed the Congress. “What is new in what I said about Rythu Bandhu? The Congress kept urging the EC to stop the scheme. The Congress will never give Rythu Bandhu nor will it allow KCR (chief minster) to give it.”

BRS supremo and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao said in Shadnagar, “Aren’t Congress supporters ashamed of supporting a party which is against farmers welfare, be it stopping Rythu Bandhu or giving only three hours of power to farmers?”

The BRS has now written to the EC to reconsider its decision, saying the comment by Harish Rao was an “inadvertent” one and he was actually expressing gratitude to the poll body. It also cited that the central government was allowed to disburse money under the Prime Minister Kisan scheme and there was no difference between the two schemes.

Reacting to the charges, K C Venugopal, Congress general secretary, slammed the BRS. “Due to the irresponsible and narrow self-serving approach of the BRS and Harish Rao, under instructions of his boss KCR, the ECI has denied permission for the disbursement of the Rythu Bandhu installments.”

Asserting that the money is the right of the farmers, Venugopal said, “It is what they deserve for their year-long hard work. When this money is supposed to be released any time between October and January, it was the BRS’ desperation which compelled them to make such irresponsible statements.”

Yet another “sin” committed by the BRS, which will not be forgiven by the farmers of Telangana, he alleged.

Echoing a similar sentiment, Congress general secretary in charge of Communications Jairam Ramesh wrote on X, “The Election Commission has held the (Telangana) Finance and Health and Family Welfare Minister, Harish Rao in violation of the model code of conduct.”

Without naming anyone, Ramesh who is also the Congress’ MP in Rajya Sabha said, “Nobody else is to be blamed other than the ‘Gang of 4’ ruling Telangana, who in their desperation to hang onto power have ended up denying what is owed to farmers.”

“The Congress remains committed to fulfilling its Guarantee to the farmers of Telangana — Rythu Bharosa: Rs 15,000 per acre to farmers, Rs 15,000 per acre to tenant farmers  and Rs 12,000 per year for agricultural labour. Not only that, we have promised upto Rs 2 lakh farm loan waiver to all farmers,” he said.

Voting for the 119-member Telangana Assembly will be held in a single phase on November 30. Counting of votes will take on December 3 along with Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram.