Raipur, Jan. 20: If Raman Singh can subsidise rice, Mayavati would do the same — only with land.

The BSP chief and UP chief minister stirred the political cauldron by announcing acres of free land to Chhattisgarh’s poor, if her party is voted to power — a promise she reiterated in Orissa.

“If the BSP comes to power in Chhattisgarh, it will allot 3-acre of government land to the poor people for farming and extra income,” Mayavati said, while addressing a rally here on Saturday evening. The rally formally started the BSP election campaign in Chhattisgarh that would go to the polls in November 2008.

The BSP has a single seat in the Chhattisgarh Assembly that has strength of 90 members. In 2003 polls BSP had won two seats. But, the election of member Lalsai Khute was declared null and void by the high court based on an election petition in early 2007.

Mayavati’s move is seen as a counter-challenge to the BJP government’s ambitious Rs 837-crore Chief Minister Food Assistance Scheme that it launched on January 16, wherein 16 kilos of rice was promised to the people living below poverty line (BPL).

The scheme entails provision of 35-kg of rice for Rs 3 a kilo to each family every month and is supposed to benefit 34-lakh families (65 per cent of the state’s 2.08 crore population).