The Telangana region goes to the polls on Wednesday; the party that wins a majority, will form the government in India’s 29th state. This is a round up of what each of the six parties contesting for the Lok Sabha elections promises the electorate, if voted to power.
Make an informed choice today.
Telangana Rashtra Samiti: TRS plays Telangana Card, justice and reconstruction of new state
The Telangana Rashtra Samiti, which is eyeing to form the first government in the new state of Telangana, went to voters claiming credit for achieving the Telangana state after a 14-year long protracted struggle.
“Telangana has been granted due to TRS pressure and sacrifices by 1,100 odd youth in the movement. The TRS alone can do justice to people and take up reconstruction of Telangana. This is because the party knows the problems and can lay the road map for accelerated development of the new state,” said TRS politburo member T. Harish Rao.
TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s main target was Narendra Modi and Chandrababu Naidu and the Congress.
Mr Rao, the lone star campaigner for the TRS, claimed that trouble for Telangana was far from over since the UPA granted statehood to Telangana with strings attached.
TRS leader K Chandrasekhar Rao (Photo: DC archives)
“The TRS has to fight for Hyderabad, which is now a common capital; forcible merger of seven mandals to be submerged under Polavaram project into Andhra Pradesh, which needed demerger; distribution of government employees on the basis of nativity; power shortage among other issues,” he said.
The party says that the TRS government in the state was needed along with majority of MPs to implement the election manifesto which includes promises like free integrated residential education from KG to PG, waiver of Re1 lakh loan to farmers, free two bedroom houses for weaker section costing Rs 3 lakh, two bedroom flats in urban areas to the poor, scrapping of road tax for autos, tractors and other farm implements, free power to farm sector, Rs10 lakh interest free loan to women self help groups among others.
Congress: Congress banks on Telangana
The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee went to the people claiming credit for the formation of Telangana, stating that UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the Congress fulfilled the dream of the Telangana people by granting statehood to the region.
“Vote for the Congress, the party that stands by its word. Reject those that change their stance at every turn,” is the Congress slogan for a progressive Telangana.
Congress leader P Lakshmaiah (Photo: DC archives)
Right from Mrs Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh, and Digvijay Singh to Ponnala Lakshmaiah, everyone claimed credit for Telangana and targeted TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao for “backstabbing” the Congress after backtracking on a merger promise and even rejecting an alliance.
The Congress attacked Mr Rao, Narendra Modi and Chandrababu Naidu and warned people against encouraging communal forces.
The party election manifesto promises a waiver of crop loans up to Rs 2 lakh, free healthcare and diagnostic services for the poor, free power, Rs 1000 pension to the old, disabled and widows, one lakh government jobs for the youth in the state in 2 years, regularisation of contract employees, increase of retirement age to 60 years from the present age of 58 years and increase in appointment age for government employees to 40 years, Rs 1 lakh grant to every women’s self-help group, India’s biggest 4000 mw power plant for Telangana and tax rebate for 10 years etc.
YSRC: Balance welfare with progress
The YSRCP’s poll promises in Telangana are welfare and development and the shrewdness in balancing the two.
The late YSR did it by carrying out welfare measures without imposing fresh taxes and at the same time, taking forward the development process.
YSRC president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy Reddy (Photo: Deccan Chronicle)
“YSRCP will continue all the welfare schemes of YSR and will implement all the measures announced for Seemandhra. We firmly believe that the state could be divided geographically but Telugu people could not be divided. The five files to be signed in Seemandhra will also apply in Telangana region. They include the Amma Vodi scheme under which Rs 1,000 would be directly credited into the bank account of the mother every month to educate her two children. It will increase to Rs 1,400 for pre-graduation and Rs 2,000 for graduation course. Pension would be increased Rs 700. A Rs 3,000 crore Market Stabilisation Fund and Rs 2,000 crore Calamity Fund would be set up to insulate farmers from market fluctuations, floods and drought. DWACRA loans would be waived, 150 units (of power) for Rs 100 among others,” states the manifesto.
Telugu Desugu Party: Babu reminds voters of his track record
President of the Telugu Desam N. Chandrababu Naidu, who forged an alliance with the Bhartiya Janata Party since he found the going tough in Telangana, played the ‘Backward Class’ card in the region promising to make a BC the first chief minister of Telangana if voted to power.
(Read: Defeat corrupt Congress: Chandrababu Naidu)
Mr Naidu campaigned stating that Narendra Modi would be the prime minister, he would be the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh and R. Krishnaiah the chief minister of Telangana to ensure development of the country and the two new states. He targeted K Chandrasekhar Rao’s family and warned people against voting for a family rule.
TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu (Photo: DC archives)
He focused on his past track record of development of Hyderabad as an international IT hub, road network in the state, quality power supply and development of other infrastructure while seeking votes.
Mr Naidu announced newly-joined BC leader, R. Krishnaiah, as the TD CM candidate.
The TD has released separate manifestoes for Telangana and Seemandhra, promising to waive all farm loans. The party vowed to fight corruption and promised an honest and transparent administration. Mr Naidu has also promised ITI in every mandal, location specific industries, development of West Godavari as an agri-hub and Nellore as an industrial hub.
MIM: MIM appeals for secular choice, banks on ‘modi’ factor
The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, which hopes to win more seats this time in Hyderabad, has focused its agenda on overall development of the metropolis and reservations for Muslims in the new state of Telangana, besides targeting its rivals BJP, TD and MBT as communal forces.
MIM president and MP Asaduddin Owaisi and his brother, Akbaruddin Owaisi (Photo: DC/File)
The Majlis is banking on the developmental works undertaken in the constituency and the prevalent ‘Modi’ factor.
MIM star campaigners Asaduddin Owaisi and Akbaruddin Owaisi are seeking votes to strengthen the hands of secular forces. They have been claiming that the MIM is the main instrument behind several welfare schemes introduced for minorities across the country and the state by the Congress government. The MIM aims to continue with the 4 percent reservation for Muslims in Telangana.
The MIM is also claiming that because of its prolonged struggle, the budget earmarked for minorities has increased from Rs 36 crore during the TD regime to Rs1027 crore during the Congress regime in the state and from Rs 17 crore during the NDA rule to '3,811 crore under the UPA rule. The MIM has also appealed to the voters to keep Hyderabad “safe from the communal forces.”
BJP: BJP incorporates local needs in manifesto for both states
The BJP, which has come up with two manifestos for two regions, also went to the people claiming credit for Telangana. National and state BJP leaders, including G. Kishan Reddy, asserted that but for BJP support, the Telangana Bill would not have been passed in Parliament.
The party, which forged an alliance with Telugu Desam, also came out with its own election manifesto.
BJP leader Kishen Reddy (Photo: DC archives)
It promised free laptops to 25,000 top rankers in engineering common entrance test, 500 in medicine and 500 in MBA CET examination in a bid to attract the youth, 85 per cent subsidy to agriculture pump sets using solar power, fillip to solar energy on the lines of Gujarat, night courts followed by 24x7 courts. It also offered Rs 1 lakh cash awards to 2,000 girl students toppers in Eamcet and 100 girl students in MBA CET. BJP manifesto incorporated local needs with special focus on welfare.
The BJP also promises Rs 10 lakh or 3 acres of land or 200 sq. yard housing plot in Hyderabad and pension for kin of Telangana martyrs, government jobs to the eligible, inclusion of farmers in national pension scheme, nine-hour free power, waiver of farm loans up to Rs 1 lakh, 3 acres land to landless poor, national project status for Pranahita Chevella, among others.
