Kumaraswamy looks to encash loan waiver hangover

Aiming to win 123 seats in the upcoming assembly election, JD(S) legislature party leader H D Kumaraswamy has decided to play an emotional card by reaching out to the beneficiaries of his flagship loan waiver scheme.

The former chief minister, who is busy with the party's Pancharatna Yatre, has decided to write individual letters to every farmer who benefited from the crop loan waiver that he implemented as chief minister in 2018.

The Kumaraswamy government waived crop loans worth Rs 15,597 crore covering 26.83 lakh farmers.

According to JD(S) sources, Kumaraswamy will finalise the contents of his letter to farmers soon after the completion of the ongoing Yatre in Bidar and Kalaburagi. "We are already in the process of gathering details of the beneficiaries along with their postal address," a source said.

As per JD(S) estimates, there are at least 10,000 loan waiver beneficiaries in each of the 224 Assembly constituencies. "The loan waiver scheme will remain in our election manifesto this time, too, with a different approach," added the source.

To attract voters, Kumaraswamy is planning to script emotional content. "Anyone who is a beneficiary of the loan waiver scheme will receive a letter. The content will be such that the beneficiary will vote for JD(S). The letter will also have details about other schemes planned for farmers if JD(S) is voted to power," the source mentioned.

In 2018, Kumaraswamy issued an order waiving crop loans borrowed between April 2009 and December 2017. It involved crediting Rs 25,000 into the accounts of farmers with regular loans and up to Rs 2 lakh in all other loan accounts, including non-performing assets (NPAs).

Recently, a video went viral in which Ramanagara MLA Anitha Kumaraswamy, H D Kumaraswamy's wife, promised another loan waiver. "Your Kumaranna has said he'll waive Stree Shakti loans within 24 hours of coming to power. So, borrow as much as you can. He'll clear the loan. No problem," she said.