Promises from YSRCP, TDP galore as AP elections near

Visakhapatnam: With May 13 elections nearing, the YSR Congress Party and the TDP-BJP and Jana Sena Party alliance, the main contenders for power in Andhra Pradesh, are vying with each other with promises to woo an estimated 4.08 crore voters.

The alliance is yet to release its manifesto as it was waiting for YSRCP to unveil it. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who released the YSRCP manifesto on Saturday, promised to continue welfare schemes and increase the benefit amounts in phases saying he did not want to hoodwink people with 'false' promises like TDP national president and his bete noire N Chandrababu Naidu.

Naidu has already announced six guarantees on behalf of the TDP, which is the main constituent of the three-party alliance formed before announcement of election schedule. The three-party alliance is also firm in developing Amaravati as the single capital of the State. .

The six guarantees include Thaliki Vandanam to provide Rs15,000 per year to every school going child, Rs 20,000 per annum to farmers under Annadata scheme, three gas cylinders free every year to eligible persons under Deepam and free travel to women in RTC buses. TDP also promised to continue volunteer system and double honorarium to 2.6 lakh volunteers to Rs 10,000 per month, increase in social security pension to the elderly and physically challenged to Rs 4,000 with the promise to pay arrears for three months from April 1 and revival of Anna Canteens, breakfast and lunch at Rs 5 to the poor, which was discontinued after YSRCP formed the government in 2019. The TDP also promised to issue job calendars every year and pay unemployment allowance to youth up to a certain age.

The YSRCP in its manifesto promised incremental increase in welfare pension from Rs 3,000 to Rs 3,500 per month, Cabinet swearing in Visakhapatnam and making the city the executive capital, developing Amaravati as legislative capital and Kurnool the judicial capital. The pension will go up to Rs 3,250 in January, 2028 and Rs 3,500 in January, 2029. The manifesto promised to develop Visakhapatnam as the growth engine. It promises to increase Amma Vodi benefit from Rs 15,000 to Rs 17,000 for every school-going child.

Commenting on their manifesto, YSRCP regional coordinator and MP YS Subba Reddy said the people have faith in the leadership and promises made by Jagan Mohan Reddy whereas Chandrababu Naidu had always tried to backtrack his words after coming to power. He said they were committed to transform Visakhapatnam into the financial capital of South India on the lines of India's national financial capital Mumbai and bring more industries to the city.

Addressing an election meeting at Tadipatri in Anantapur on Sunday, Jagan Mohan Reddy said, “We have fulfilled the 2019 manifesto by treating it as a holy book. Over 2.31 lakh government jobs were provided by YSRCP in the last 58 months. Our government deposited over Rs 2.7 lakh crore through DBT alone. Naidu is back again with his fake promises, which are impossible to implement."

At an election meeting at Kovvur in Nellore district, Chandrababu Naidu said, "Releasing the YSRCP manifesto on Saturday the Chief Minister, Jagan Mohan Reddy, came to know about his defeat and this manifesto is a miserable failure before the TDP's super-six, observed the former chief minister and TDP supremo, Nara Chandrababu Naidu, here on Saturday. He said Jagan has now realised the fact that he cannot implement the promises made in the manifesto. Much before the elections, he had given up and conceded

his defeat.