A Congress MLA from Bengaluru’s Hebbal is out on a mission to improve the visual and virtual experience of his constituents by distributing free smart television sets, but there’s a catch: the legislator, Byrathi Suresh, said only “deserving” families will be able to avail of his offer.
According to Suresh, who is close to Karnataka’s former chief minister Siddaramaiah and features in a list of crorepati MLAs, the TV distribution is not an election gimmick. But his critics feel otherwise, with the assembly elections just around the corner.
The MLA said 2,500 families had received smart TV sets so far. Suresh and his supporters have taken up the responsibility to identify families in need of the device, following which the leader will personally go to their home and present it to them.
Suresh, who called himself “agriculturist and landlord” in his 2018 election affidavit, declared total assets (moveable and unmovable) worth around Rs 416.7 crore. His wife, Padmavathi, had contested the 2019 by-election from Hoskote, and the couple own assets worth Rs 420.5 crore.
Suresh told News18 that his move has a two-pronged approach: first is to help students attending online classes by giving them access and, in turn, improve their academic performance and learning experience. The second is to give recipients the opportunity to spend more time as a family while watching television together.
He said a smart TV could be a source of entertainment for the entire family and help keep them connected with the world. It can also serve as a source of information and education for individuals who might not have access to the internet, he added.
“The demand for smart television sets from the people of my constituency has been long pending. I, too, realised that if we give tablets or mobile phones to school-going children, complaints of misuse will increase. We have already heard enough complaints about children using these gadgets to view inappropriate content. On a smart TV, they can learn in full view of the family,” Suresh said.
The Hebbal MLA said he was personally present when the TV set was given to families. After installation, upon turning on the device, an image of the MLA with folded hands appears on the screen.
The MLA believes that smart TV can be a game changer as it will also help children educate their family members. Giving a personal example, Suresh said his daughter, who is studying medicine, would plug in a pen drive into a smart TV and give him a visual explanation whenever he had a medical question.
“She would download videos to help me understand better and play them on our smart TV set at home. That’s when I thought this would be so beneficial for others,” he said.
As of 2018, the Hebbal assembly segment has close to 2,52,885 voters that include general, NRI and service voters. But Suresh said applications have been invited from families who seek a smart TV in their homes. His team will do the research to ascertain whether a family is really in need of one and then provide it.
Asked if he has a target on the number of TV sets to be distributed, the MLA said he did not have a limit for a service that benefits people.
His critics, however, said the timing of the TV set giveaway was not only suspect but a tactic to lure voters. They said Suresh had not done anything significant for his constituency during his term.
“This is not an election gimmick. I started it before the elections and when the election code of conduct comes into force, I will stop. After the elections, I will resume the smart TV distribution. Let them call it an election strategy. My voters know the truth,” he added.
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