TDP is looking to present both — welfare schemes as well as ways to create wealth — in Andhra to counter YSRCP's 'welfare alone' pitch.
TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu. (File photo/Supplied)
When debates continue to rage on over welfare schemes derided as “freebies”, and “poll guarantees” have repeatedly featured even in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speeches, the Opposition TDP in Andhra Pradesh is set to take it a notch higher.
The TDP is hoping to pitch its two-part election manifesto as not just a list of welfare schemes but also a document that outlines the ways to fund the welfare schemes without compromising on the state’s fiscal health.
Despite elections being a year away, TDP released Part 1 of its poll manifesto during its Mahanadu conclave in May. Named Bhavishyathuku Guarantee, (Guarantee to Future) promising something for everyone — the first part of the manifesto was a document listing out welfare schemes the party promises to deliver if voted to power.
The TDP, which faced its worst and most humiliating defeat last election since its inception in 1982, is attempting to build a narrative that projects the need to strike a fine balance between pro-poor welfare schemes and the state’s development with inclusive growth.
TDP is keen on showcasing itself as a contrast to the YSRCP government whose lone agenda, as the TDP claims, is unrestrained welfare schemes but without any regard for Andhra Pradesh’s economy and fiscal health.
With the intent to build a narrative of balance between welfare and fiscal prudence, the TDP is deviating from the norm of releasing a manifesto just before the polls. Instead, the party issued Part 1 of the manifesto 10 months before election, and is now gearing up to present Part 2.
The decision to release part of its manifesto months in advance is perhaps a leaf the TDP has taken out of the ruling YSRCP’s playbook. The YSRCP, then in Opposition, released its manifesto, Navaratnalu, much ahead of the 2019 Assembly polls. It helped YS Jagan Mohan Reddy wrest power from the TDP.
Jagan extensively publicised Navaratnalu during his historic Praja Sankalp Yatra, a 341-day foot march across Andhra Pradesh.
Part 1 of the TDP’s manifesto is also being viewed as a counter-narrative to the YSRCP campaign that the welfare schemes will be stopped if the TDP comes back to power.
The TDP is now gearing up to release the Part-2 of its manifesto during Dasara in September-October.
According to highly placed sources in the TDP, the manifesto’s Part 2 will focus on the party’s plan to fuel the state’s economic growth, attract investments and create wealth and job opportunities, besides funding the guarantees mentioned in Part 1.
“Welfare and development are like two tyres of a cycle. The cycle cannot move without one tyre. Similarly, without development and solely focusing on welfare, Andhra Pradesh will not progress,” a top TDP functionary, who worked on the manifesto, told South First.
“That’s why we have divided the manifesto into two parts. In the first part, we provided the route map for wealth distribution and in the upcoming part, we will explain wealth creation. Our boss (Naidu) has a proven track record of creating wealth. Hyderabad and Cyberabad are examples,” he further said.
The top leader added that during the 25 years of the post-economic reforms era from 1994, Naidu — once dubbed as the CEO of Andhra Pradesh — worked on expanding of the TDP’s welfare-based ideology and paved the way for a combination of welfare, development, and reforms.
“His futuristic vision enabled him to realise the synergy between technology as an enabler of growth and India’s demographic dividend. Taking the first-mover advantage, he took Andhra Pradesh to newer heights,” he said.
Under his leadership, Andhra Pradesh made great strides in technology and established itself as hub for IT, knowledge economy, and innovation. Telugu and technology became synonymous, and a symbol and model of wealth creation,” he asserted.
“Riding on the technology wave, the Telugu community gained global prominence and contributed immensely to the state and country’s economies,” he added.
Notably, TDP leaders were caught unaware by the manifesto when it was announced at Mahanadu. Many were aware of the brainstorming sessions with top domain experts that preceded the release of the manifesto. The sessions were kept under wraps to add an element of surprise.
The inputs and feedback the party received during several campaigns such as Idhem Kharma Mana Rashtraniki, shaped the TDP manifesto.
“For instance, during the Idhem Kharma campaign, we realised that one of the major concerns was the hike in the prices of essential commodities and cooking gas. The plan to provide ₹1,500 each to every woman in a family is to address the concern over price rise. The same is the case with three free cylinders to every household a year,” the TDP leader added.
From providing financial security to women to the upliftment of the poor, the TDP’s manifesto has almost everything for the people of the state.
Bhavishyathuku Guarantee includes Mahashakti, under which ₹1,500 a month would be provided to women. The Thalliki Vandanam scheme would give around ₹15,000 annually to each student. Free gas cylinders for every Andhra Pradesh family would be distributed under the Deepam scheme.
Women would get free travel on buses under the Uchitha Bussu Prayana scheme. Under Yuva Galam, TDP has promised 20 lakh jobs to the unemployed, besides a monthly payment of ₹3,000 to every unemployed youth under the Yuva Galam Nidhi.
Also, farmers would get a financial aid of ₹20,000 per year under the Annadata scheme
The TDP has promised the “Backward Classes a Protection Act” similar to the SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act. Both YSRCP and TDP are engaged in a tough race to woo the Backward Classes.
“A carefully crafted and well-researched welfare plan, the Bhavishyathuku Guarantee manifesto, shows that the TDP knows the pulse of Andhra Pradesh and is aware of the issues faced by the people living even in the remotest corners,” another TDP leader told South First.
“The promises made aim at resolving the prevailing issues and lay a strong foundation for the future, especially across parameters where the state has fared poorly over the past four years. The manifesto is being hailed as a ‘masterstroke’ by Naidu, known globally for his vision and efficient administration,” he added.
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