Promise of ‘freebies’ dominates electioneering in Andhra Pradesh
The politics of ‘freebies’ is ruling the roost in Andhra Pradesh as it heads to polls on May 13 for both the Assembly and Lok Sabha. Various political parties have made it apparent in their manifestos and promises during major public meetings that they cannot appeal for votes without promising freebies, on a competitive scale, to the public.
Walking along the same path, YSRCP president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy released the party’s manifesto on Saturday loaded with promises of welfare schemes and freebies. Carrying forward his ‘Nava Ratnalu’ welfare schemes which helped him bag the Chief Minister’s post in the 2019 elections, he promised to increase further the nancial assistance.
During Mr. Reddy’s tenure, as per ocial gures, an amount of ₹2,54,894 crore was credited into the accounts of beneciaries of 29 Direct Benet Transfer (DBT) schemes between June 2019 and January 2024. This is in addition to ₹1,70,873 crore spent on various non-DBT schemes, including loans, scholarships, house sites, PDS rice, power subsidy and distribution of tabs to students.
TDP’s ‘Super Six’
Meanwhile, Opposition leader and Telugu Desam Party chief N. Chandrababu Naidu is not far behind in announcing freebies either. He included them in his manifestos in the 2014 and 2019 elections. A couple of months ago, he declared the TDP’s ‘Super Six’ manifesto in the run-up to the 2024 election.
‘Super Six’ is laden with welfare initiative promises such as ₹3,000 per month for every unemployed youth, three free gas cylinders a year for every household, free bus rides for women and ₹20,000 for every farmer as annual seed capital. A detailed manifesto is awaited. The ‘Super Six’ formulae were declared after a detailed deliberation with Pawan Kalyan, the leader of its alliance partner Jana Sena Party.
The political parties are not only trying to woo the voters with more innovative schemes but are competing with each other by increasing the nancial benet slab.
When Mr. Naidu had formed the government in 2014, he increased the old age pension from ₹200 to ₹1,000; at present, Mr. Reddy is paying ₹3,000.
He has promised to increase it to ₹3,500 in a phased manner, rst by ₹250 in January 2028 and another ₹250 in January 2029.