Hyderabad: The BRS is reaching out to emerging vote banks in a bid to consolidate its voting base in Telangana for the upcoming state polls, with recently announced sops indicating an attempt to reach out to multiple sections, sources said.
Among the decisions announced since June 2 are the absorption of TSRTC by the state government, regularisation of village revenue assistants, promise of a pay revision commission for salaried and pensioners, BC Bandhu, Minority Bandhu, Rs 1-lakh crop waiver, Rs 3-lakh Gruha Laxmi aid to poor for building houses and distribution of 2BHK houses from August 15.
At present, the government is reviewing applications for all new welfare schemes, making efforts to identify eligible beneficiaries and distribute the benefits from August 15 across the state, under the supervision of BRS ministers and MLAs.
To this effect, BRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and working president K.T. Rama Rao have been holding district-wise meetings with ministers and MLAs concerned at Pragathi Bhavan on ways to reach out to new vote banks that have emerged as a consequence of the Chief Minister’s sops.
Party sources said that in these meetings, the Chief Minister and Rama Rao have been emphasising the vote bank that emerged due to ‘pro-poor, pro-farmer and pro-employee’ decisions taken since June.
Ministers and MLAs were also asked to celebrate the events of aid distribution with beneficiaries in their respective districts and Assembly constituencies. Ministers and MLAs were given the responsibility to distribute cheques to beneficiaries and seek the support of beneficiaries for BRS in the Assembly polls.
“Rythu Bandhu and Aasara pensioners were the largest vote bank for BRS in 2018 Assembly polls. But for upcoming Assembly polls, a new set of beneficiaries has emerged in the state due to CM's decisions on implementing new welfare schemes such as Dalit/ BC/ Minority Bandhu, Gruha Laxmi and other programmes. For the next three months, ministers and MLAs of BRS have been given the responsibility to reach out to emerging vote bank and tap it effectively to get better results in elections,” a senior BRS leader said.
The leader said there was a “feel good factor” among farmers, poorer sections, BCs, SCs, STs, other minorities, government and contract employees, due to the “recent favourable decisions” taken by the Chief Minister. “BRS leaders and cadre should utilise this opportunity to the party’s advantage for the Assembly polls,” the leader said.
