Naidu pins hopes on sops

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With his eyes firmly set on the 2014 polls, Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu is pulling all stops and promising the moon to people during his Vastunna Mekosam padayatra, if he is voted back to power.

Naidu, whose padayatra entered the 16th day on Wednesday, is promising sops worth thousands of crores to various sections, including the normally ignored upper castes.

Throwing all his administrative skills and caution to the wind, Naidu, in a desperate bid to win over all castes and communities ahead of the elections, is also exuding warmth on kids, students, women, BCs, SCs, minorities, OCs, farmers, artisans, students, the old and the infirm.

Though he might not have calculated the cost, one of Naidu’s promises, to waive all farmers’ loans,
alone will cost the exchequer about Rs 10,000 crore.

His other promises include fee reimbursement (Rs 9,000 crore), free power (Rs 5,000 crore), free rice scheme for BPL families (Rs 2,000 crore), BC sub-plan (Rs10,000 crore), free education from KG to PG (around Rs 2,000 crore). His promise of 8 per cent quota for Muslims will entail a budget of Rs 2,500 crore.

Naidu has promised 9 hour quality (read free) power supply, houses for poor costing Rs 1 lakh per unit, employment to educated youth or unemployment doles of Rs 1,000 each, old age pension of Rs 500 each, Rs 1,500 pension to the physically handicapped, 10 subsidised LPG cylinders to each household per annum from the present six, sari scheme for married women, Rs 50,000 for marriage expenses for Muslim women.

Besides this, he also promised cycles for college boys and girls, timely salaries to Anganwadi volunteers, 33 per cent seats in the Assembly and 50 per cent seats in local bodies to BCs, special packages for BCs, ST status for Valmikis, SC status for Vadderas, SC categorisation to benefit Madigas etc; all with a promise to also provide good governance without taxing people! Interestingly, Mr Naidu liberally doled out a couple of thousand rupees to needy persons enroute, and Rs 3 lakh to the Government Junior College at Alur in Kurnool district so far.

TD leaders and cadres are in upbeat mood over the response to Naidu padayatra.

“He has received an overwhelming response. Rival parties are unnerved by his success,” said party MLA P. Keshav.

However, Government Chief Whip Gandra Venkataramana Reddy said, “No one will believe Naidu.

He has been written off by the people. They will not fall prey to promises which he never keeps.”

TD chief and his many offers to voters Besides offering sops that would cost the state exchequer thousands of crores of rupees, Naidu has also promised good governance without taxing people He has also handed out cash to the needy during his padayatra Naidu's political rivals are confident that people won't believe his words.