First off the blocks in the campaign for the coming Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo and ex-chief minister, N Chandrababu Naidu, has reeled off pledges for a slew of freebies and welfare schemes for women, unemployed youth and farmers.
The focus of the first part of the TDP’s manifesto, titled “Bhavishyat ki guarantee”, is on women’s financial empowerment, jobs and assistance for youths, and welfare of farmers and socially and economically backward communities.
Naidu released it on the concluding day of the TDP’s annual conclave “Mahanadu” Sunday at Rajamahendravaram in East Godavari district, maintaining that the party is geared up for the polls slated for April 2024.
The TDP thus became the first party in Andhra Pradesh to release the manifesto, whose second part involving more sections of society would be released later.
Naidu promised that in the event of the TDP returning to power women in the 18-59 age group would receive a monthly assistance of Rs 1,500 per month while mothers would receive Rs 15,000 per annum. The TDP manifesto also promises free travel for women in public transport and three free LPG cylinders per year to every household.
The TDP chief pledged to create 20 lakh jobs for youths besides providing Rs 3,000 per month to unemployed youth under the Yuva Galam Nidhi scheme. Farmers would receive Rs 20,000 each per year as crop investment support.
Naidu said with guaranteed financial assistance every month, women can stand on their feet without having to depend on anyone. The TDP would also field more women candidates in the local body elections, he said.
The manifesto states that the number of unemployed youths has sharply increased, and promises to pay them monthly allowance until they get jobs. “In spite of the Covid-19 lockdown and the devastation the pandemic brought, the farmers have done wonderful work to provide us food. They have done a great service to the nation. To support them and to make their crops more profitable, TDP will provide a yearly assistance of Rs 20,000,’’ Naidu said.
The manifesto also promises clean drinking water through taps to every household.
The TDP leaders urged party workers and supporters to spread the message of the manifesto among the people in the coming days and prepare for elections.
This is the first time that the TDP is promising freebies like free travel for women and LPG cylinders, although it had announced financial incentives to certain sections in the past too. In the past, the TDP kept its focus on development, investments, IT among other things.
Faced with the formidable challenge of taking on the ruling Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP, which has been giving financial assistance through half-a-dozen schemes, the TDP has thus also chosen to go for freebies. Its promise of free LPG cylinders seems to mirror a provision in the Congress’s manifesto in the recent Karnataka Assembly polls, while the crop investment support is similar to Rythu Bandhu scheme of the K Chandrashekhar Rao-led BRS government in Telangana.
In the second part of the TDP’s manifesto, more freebies and more promises of financial assistance are expected.
The two-day Mahanadu meet was attended by thousands of TDP workers and supporters. Rain and heavy winds hampered its final session on Sunday evening.
Naidu was again unanimously elected as the TDP’s national president during the conclave. Sources said that he will constitute new committees to oversee election preparation, selection of candidates, and campaign management.
Speaking during various sessions, Naidu questioned why the state still does not have a capital city. “The YSRCP government’s handling of the capital city issue has been pathetic under the pretext of decentralisation,” he charged.
Naidu, who has stopped attending the Assembly proceedings after he felt insulted by the YSRCP legislators, vowed to return to the House only when the TDP forms its government.
Charging that the Backward Classes (BCs) had been facing attacks in the state, Naidu vowed to bring laws to protect them. “I will take the responsibility of protecting the BCs and ensuring that they prosper in this state,” he said.