Manifesto by Budget session

Amaravati: TDP manifesto for upcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha elections will be ready by the start of Assembly Budget session, slated for this month-end. Party president and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu directed party senior leader and finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu to prepare the party manifesto.

Party seniors are brainstorming on what to include and what not in the manifesto. It is learnt that the speech of Ramakrishnudu while presenting the vote on account budget will explain the crux of the TDP manifesto. Though the party is preparing manifesto well in advance, it will be released only after the election notification is issued, according to a senior party leader.

Sources said farmers will be given high priority in the manifesto, to be followed by women, senior citizens and other sections. Unlike previous manifestos of the TDP, this manifesto will be somewhat different. Chandrababu Naidu has reportedly decided to announce all the schemes to be implemented in his next term in this budget itself. He will include all the proposals in the budget and also allocate at least some amount to each welfare scheme. “This will give confidence to the public on his promises and TDP manifesto,” the party sources said.

He has already offered the foretaste of the party manifesto by announcing to implement many welfare schemes like doubling the NTR Bharosa pensions, provision of Rs 10,000 direct cash benefit to the Self-Help-Groups, smart phones to each women.

A proposal is under consideration to extend financial assistance to farmers, including tenant farmers, under Rythu Raksha, similar to Telangana government’s Rythu Bandhu scheme.

The Chief Minister also allocated budget for almost all castes like Kapus, Brahmins, BCs, SCs, STs except for the upper castes like Kamma and Reddy, in the previous budget itself. Christians, Muslims, SCs, STs and BCs are the most benefitted communities in Naidu’s four-and-a-half years rule.