TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu made promises to the people ahead of the 2024 elections and released a mini manifesto at the Mahanadu in Rajamahendravaram.
Most of these promises were borrowed from the Congress in Karnataka, which recently won the state Assembly elections.
Naidu announced welfare programs for women under Mahasakthi, for youth under Yuva Galam, and for farmers under Annadata. He also promised safe piped drinking water to every household, a fresh law to protect BCs, and a scheme to uplift the poor.
Regarding farmers, Naidu announced Rs 20,000 financial assistance every year but did not specify the eligibility criteria to receive the benefit.
In the 2014 general election, he promised a complete loan waiver for farmers but later introduced a scale of finance after three years in office, waiving up to Rs 1.5 lakh.
He also promised Rs 1500 per month to every woman in the state above the age of 18, but again, the eligibility criteria were not mentioned.
Furthermore, he pledged Rs 15,000 to each mother for the education of every child in the family, three free LPG cylinders per year for every family in the state, and free travel for women on RTC buses within the district.
Implementing all these promises would require a significant amount of money from the state exchequer.
Even if one believes that Naidu would fulfill all these promises without any cuts, the question remains: Where would he obtain the necessary funds? This is a major concern.
His promise to create wealth fails to resonate with the people, as he did not manage to create substantial wealth during his 14-year tenure as chief minister.
A prosperous state like Karnataka is currently struggling to implement the promises it made, so it is questionable how Naidu would fulfill them in Andhra Pradesh, a state that lacks major cities like Bengaluru or Hyderabad.