Indian politicians are becoming obsessed with doling out cash

WHEN THE Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which leads Delhi’s government, unveiled a new programme handing out 1,000 rupees ($11.50) a month to most women in the capital, the response from political rivals was predictable. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which runs the national government, staged a protest and called the scheme a “deceitful act”, a ruse to win local elections in February. Even more predictable, though, was the BJP’s unveiling on January 17th of its own scheme, one that outgunned the AAP’s with a promised handout of 2,500 rupees.