Telangana State leaders embark on Mission 2019

In what is seen as an inexplicable sign of the things to come on the political firmament, the poll bugle has been sounded across Telangana State almost two years ahead of the scheduled elections to the Legislative Assembly!

This is the feeling one gets when looking at the manner the parties in contention, including both the opposition and ruling TRS, are going about their respective make-over exercise in a bid to outwit the other as D-Day draws closer.

Just about every leader is in election mode. While the Congress party has hit the road and is holding meetings under ‘Jana-avedana’ banner, the TTDP, not to be left behind in the sweepstakes, has taken up Poru Bata.

This even as CPI (M) Secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram has succeeded in enlisting support of Congress and the Telugu Desam on his ‘Mahajana Padayatra’ that took-off in Hyderabad on October 17 (some head-start that) and culminates on March 12, The ‘walkathon’ is ostensibly aimed at exposing the acts of omissions and commissions committed by the KCR government.

This is supposedly more of an awareness campaign in the rural areas where, according to him, the people are unaware of the ground realities with regard to the status of ambitious schemes like double bedroom scheme; scholarships for students; free KG to PG education scheme and the abject ‘neglect’ of farmers.

There is no denying that the opposition parties have made their intentions of taking on the government quite clear. However, in this scramble for reaching out to the masses they have committed a blunder, a faux pas so to say, which may not hold them in good stead.

By more or less revealing their game-plan, they have, unwittingly, exposed themselves in that the ruling party is bound to devise counters. Unless the opposition parties have some eleventh hour aces up their sleeve, they would be left with nothing to spring surprises in the climatic stages.

Smarting up from the purported opposition ‘onslaught’ the TRS has joined the electoral battle with its own counter strategies. It has started luring the numerically strong Backward Classes (BCs) community two-and-a-half years ahead of the Assembly elections.

As the budget will be presented in mid-March, the government has reportedly worked out a well-conceived strategy to attract the people whereupon each community is likely to benefit from budgetary allocations, this time around.

Despite demonetisation blues, there could be a 10 to 15 percent increase over and above the provisions made in the previous Budget.
This the government hopes will give much time for them to enhance it further in the 2018-19 Budget to cater to the mood swings and expectations of the people months prior to the elections.

Moreover, implementation of programmes, announced in the Budget just preceding the elections, will be difficult for the government to implement for lack of time. The new schemes it proposes to announce in this budget with special focus on revival of rural economy, it feels will help expedite implementation as a means to lure the electorate.

Having entices SCs, STs and minorities with schemes like Kalyana Laxmi and scholarships for overseas studies, this time the Chief Minister has turned focus on Backward Classes, especially fishermen, shepherds, Mudirajs, goldsmiths and weavers.

He had thrown enough hints both during the winter session of the Assembly as well as at review meetings that weavers, potters, shepherds and others have lost their traditional professions due to change in lifestyles.

His mission right now is on restoring the lost glory of those traditional trades. It spells a win-win situation for KCR. The people will be glad to get back to family business while their support and revenue generation from their intricate craftsmanship will add to the exchequer’s kitty.

“For example, no one is cooking food in pots now. Therefore, the potter has lost his job. They have to shift to other professions and the government will support them,” the CM had remarked during a debate in the last session of the Assembly.

Those are words that come as music to the ears of the people while the opposition will be caught on a sticky-wicket. The government had made it clear that the fishermen community, which consists of Besta, Mudiraj, Goundla and Gangaputra, would be encouraged.

Senior ministers will be made accountable for implementation of programmes and financial assistance meant for their benefit. Talsani Srinivas Yadav has already been asked to monitor the blue revolution and sheep rearing.

The Chief Minister has also decided to tour all the districts after the Budget session and hold road shows and public meetings. He will explain what the government had done till date and what it proposes to do in the next two years and how the opposition has been creating hurdles to the development process. As a veteran points out, the second ever Assembly elections in Telangana State will be one hell of a fight.

By V RAMU SARMA