In Rajasthan rural polls, could G RAM G upset BJP math?

Panchayat elections in Rajasthan are expected to be held after a delay of more than a year. BJP sources said the transition from MGNREGA to VB-G RAM G may have been one of the factors behind the delay. Senior BJP leaders have been directed by the party central leadership to promote the new scheme and highlight it as a “more beneficial” alternative to MGNREGA.

The new scheme came into effect on July 1, 2026, and parties across the political spectrum are preparing to use it as an election issue.

According to data available on the scheme’s website, Rajasthan had 1.03 crore active workers under the scheme as of August 2026, making the transition particularly significant for the state’s rural electorate.

Congress targets BJP

The principal Opposition Congress has already begun targeting the BJP over the new scheme. Rajasthan Congress spokesperson Swarnim Chaturvedi said the new conditions could make it difficult for rural workers to secure employment and receive wages on time.

“By putting liability of 40% on the state government and no timely payment, the BJP is trying to dodge its responsibility to give employment to the people. Especially in tribal regions in the state where migration is already high, this scheme is not beneficial. In southern Rajasthan this is going to be our party’s main issue in panchayat elections,” he said.

According to data, tribals account for around 23% of workers in Rajasthan. Bharat Adivasi Party MP from Banswara, Rajkumar Roat, said the implementation of the new scheme had not yet resulted in employment for workers in his area.

“Even though the VB-G RAM G scheme was launched on July 1, no one has been given a single day of employment under it. Under the MGNREGA, employment had stopped earlier and no one was able to receive any payment. This delay has also skyrocketed the migration rate in the tribal region. We will take up this issue in the elections in our area,” Roat said.

Concerns among sarpanches

The transition has also raised concerns among elected representatives over pending MGNREGA payments. Material costs incurred for development works under the earlier scheme are yet to be reimbursed in several cases, with some sarpanches claiming they paid expenses from their own pockets.

Amit Meena, sarpanch of Paapada Gram Panchayat in Dausa, said he was yet to receive around Rs 40 lakh towards reimbursement for material used in development works. “However, the biometric attendance system is good but with the contribution of the state government, it will be difficult as usually states have fund shortages. The key difference is that under MGNREGA, panchayats largely identified works based on local needs and demand for employment. VB-G RAM G requires them to prepare plans focusing on four specific areas like water security, rural infrastructure, livelihood-related infrastructure and protection against extreme weather events,” Meena said.

He added that linking these plans with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan and consolidating them at higher levels could reduce the autonomy of gram panchayats.

“Now a sarpanch has no power to do any work on the ground and everything will be stuck in endless bureaucracy,” he said.

A BJP worker and sarpanch from Bharatpur, who did not want to be named, also expressed concern over the changes. He said the new scheme had reduced the powers of sarpanches and could create resentment among rural voters, including BJP workers.

“Before this Act, we had some form of power but now everything is in the hands of the upper body. There will be no benefit in becoming sarpanch after this Act and people who have daily needs of infrastructure will not be able to fulfil it without waiting for a long time. Public on the ground, even BJP workers in villages, are not happy with the introduction of this scheme. There is anger towards this policy and BJP might pay the cost of this in the panchayat elections,” the sarpanch said.

‘No bearing on poll prospects’

The BJP, meanwhile, has been preparing its organisational machinery to showcase the new scheme before rural voters, maintaining that the issue will have no impact on its prospects in the panchayat polls.

“The Congress is trying to make the issue political, but the new scheme would be beneficial for rural people as it would allow more permanent works to be undertaken. Unlike MGNREGA, under which the focus was largely on kachcha works, the new scheme would give gram panchayats a greater role in preparing action plans based on local needs, including works related to water and infrastructure. The Congress had merged thousands of schools during its tenure when they had little or no student enrolment despite having earlier opposed similar decisions by the BJP,” state BJP spokesperson Ramlal Sharma said.

The BJP has also asked party workers to conduct outreach programmes in their areas and explain the provisions of the new scheme to villagers. Several workshops have been held, while MLAs and MPs have addressed gatherings to highlight the scheme’s benefits across the state.