AP Poll Results To Be A Lesson for Parties on Freebies
By : N. Vamsi Srinivas
Update: 2024-05-11 19:18 GMT
HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh, going for polls on Monday, will script a new chapter in democratic India’s electoral history. Its outcome either in favour of or against the ruling YSRC led by Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is expected to impact the socio economic and political spectrum across the country.
Political parties, in particular the regional parties, will have an opportunity to learn a lesson on whether or not the Direct Benefit Transfer dole-centric governance would reap the electoral dividends and position themselves in power in the days to come. A victory for the YSRC this time will vindicate Jagan Mohan Reddy’s doles raj coupled with his extensive borrowings to meet the requirement, and encourage other parties to follow the suit. This, though, would be a nightmare to economists.
“We all know that no CM distributed this much cash directly to the beneficiaries. Still, if he loses, political parties will learn that voters’ loyalty cannot be bought with cash schemes,” a senior BJP leader who campaigned for the party in AP said.
Polling will take place for 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha constituencies on May 13 and the results will be out after counting of votes on June 4. The high-octane campaign saw sporadic incidents of violence including an attack on the Chief Minister and skirmishes between the supporters of the TD-led alliance and ruling YSRC.
The campaign ended on Saturday evening. Braving the scorching sun, septuagenarian TD chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu and the 50-plus Jagan Mohan Reddy extensively toured the state, addressed numerous public meetings and held road shows. So did film actor and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan.
The BJP is the third partner in the TD-led alliance that interestingly did not carry a name to it. It also took the electioneering in AP seriously with its star campaigner and Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing public meetings covering three Lok Sabha constituencies — Anakapalle, Rajamahendravaram and Rajampet — out of six the party is contesting. The Prime Minister also held a road show in Vijayawada.
Araku reserved for Scheduled Tribes, Tirupati reserved for Scheduled Castes and Narsapuram were left out in the Prime Minister’s campaign schedule.
Jagan Mohan Reddy focussed heavily on DBT schemes and highlighted the fact that he distributed about `2.3 lakh crore to BPL families in the last five years. Barring the old age pensions and free healthcare under Aarogyasri many schemes are debatable primarily on the need factor. Some schemes provide financial assistance to people who are still in productive age.
“People today are convinced that that governance for Jagan Mohan Reddy is nothing except pressing the button, a symbolic gesture for release of funds for social welfare schemes, while the cause of providing permanent livelihood has been ignored. Basic infrastructure like roads did not improve.
Secondly, heavy taxation and state-specific inflation (abnormal increase in liquor prices, for instance) left the people wondering if Jagan Mohan Reddy is “giving with his left hand and taking back with his right hand,” said Jana Sena political affairs panel chairman Nadendla Manohar.
Jagan Mohan Reddy, however, disagrees with the narrative. He argues that there was indeed a balance between welfare and development. “Are four ports and 10 fishing harbours not a development? We have created an investment climate for the MSME sector and buildings for schools, hospitals, medical colleges, village secretariats. Are these not indicators of development," he asked all through his campaign.
His campaign focus, though, was on cautioning the people against a likely stoppage of all the existing welfare schemes if the Telugu Desam comes to power. On charges of excessive borrowing, his special secretary D. Krishna, armed with statistics, says the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government did so within the limits prescribed by the Centre.
“We all know that no CM distributed this much cash directly to the beneficiaries. Still, if he loses, political parties will learn that voters’ loyalty cannot be bought with cash schemes,” a senior BJP leader who campaigned for the party in AP said.
Polling will take place for 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha constituencies on May 13 and the results will be out after counting of votes on June 4. The high-octane campaign saw sporadic incidents of violence including an attack on the Chief Minister and skirmishes between the supporters of the TD-led alliance and ruling YSRC.
The campaign ended on Saturday evening. Braving the scorching sun, septuagenarian TD chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu and the 50-plus Jagan Mohan Reddy extensively toured the state, addressed numerous public meetings and held road shows. So did film actor and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan.
The BJP is the third partner in the TD-led alliance that interestingly did not carry a name to it. It also took the electioneering in AP seriously with its star campaigner and Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing public meetings covering three Lok Sabha constituencies — Anakapalle, Rajamahendravaram and Rajampet — out of six the party is contesting. The Prime Minister also held a road show in Vijayawada.
Araku reserved for Scheduled Tribes, Tirupati reserved for Scheduled Castes and Narsapuram were left out in the Prime Minister’s campaign schedule.
Jagan Mohan Reddy focussed heavily on DBT schemes and highlighted the fact that he distributed about `2.3 lakh crore to BPL families in the last five years. Barring the old age pensions and free healthcare under Aarogyasri many schemes are debatable primarily on the need factor. Some schemes provide financial assistance to people who are still in productive age.
“People today are convinced that that governance for Jagan Mohan Reddy is nothing except pressing the button, a symbolic gesture for release of funds for social welfare schemes, while the cause of providing permanent livelihood has been ignored. Basic infrastructure like roads did not improve.
Secondly, heavy taxation and state-specific inflation (abnormal increase in liquor prices, for instance) left the people wondering if Jagan Mohan Reddy is “giving with his left hand and taking back with his right hand,” said Jana Sena political affairs panel chairman Nadendla Manohar.
Jagan Mohan Reddy, however, disagrees with the narrative. He argues that there was indeed a balance between welfare and development. “Are four ports and 10 fishing harbours not a development? We have created an investment climate for the MSME sector and buildings for schools, hospitals, medical colleges, village secretariats. Are these not indicators of development," he asked all through his campaign.
His campaign focus, though, was on cautioning the people against a likely stoppage of all the existing welfare schemes if the Telugu Desam comes to power. On charges of excessive borrowing, his special secretary D. Krishna, armed with statistics, says the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government did so within the limits prescribed by the Centre.