VIJAYAWADA: The role of women in deciding the next government in the State is vital as the women voters outnumber their male counterparts. Out of the total 3,93,45,717 voters, the number of women voters is 1,98,63,339 and there are 1,94,62,339 male voters.
Taking this fact into consideration, all the political parties contesting the Assembly elections have made promises to lure women voters.
TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu, the self-proclaimed “elder brother” of nearly two crore women in the State, has come out with a plethora of schemes and promises for women, to ensure their support in the elections. Not to be left behind, YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has also promised various schemes to lure women voters.
The duo competed with each other in making promises to mothers of school-going children. Jagan promised to give Rs 15,000 per year to women for sending their children to schools.
The scheme was named Amma Vodi. At the last minute, Chandrababu Naidu decided to offer more and announced that Rs 18,000 per year will be given to a woman under ‘Ammaku Vandanam’ to support the educational expenses of her children.
Naidu promised to enhance social welfare pensions to widows, single mothers and old woman to Rs 3,000. The YSRC, in its manifesto, made the same promise.
Pasupu Kumkuma, which was announced by Naidu three months ago, under which Rs 10,000 was provided to members of DWCRA groups in the State, will be implemented every year, the TDP promised. Smartphones and Rs 1 lakh financial aid to encourage DWCRA women to become entrepreneurs were also included in the TDP manifesto.
Not to be left behind, the YSRC promised to extend financial aid of Rs 75,000 per year in a phased manner to BCs, SCs, STs and Minority women under YSR Cheyutha and pay back pending loans of women SHG groups till date in four phases under YSRC Asara.
While Jagan promised to give interest-free loans to women SHGs, the TDP, going one step further, offered to increase the upper limit of loans from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. It also promised to spend double the amount (Rs 1 lakh crore) it spent from 2014 to 2019 on women’s welfare.
The YSRC announced to implement liquor prohibition in a phased manner, as liquor addiction was found to be the root cause of several social evils. However, TDP and Jana Sena refrained from making that promise.
However, these two parties promised to strive for 33 per cent reservation for women in lawmaking bodies.
Focusing on the working women, the TDP promised subsidy to purchase scooters, set-up working women hostels, provide skill development, provide assistance to women groups for marking their products. YSRC promised to increase salaries of Anganwadi and Asha workers, while Jana Sena promised to provide child and mother rooms at working places, exclusive banks, hospitals and buses.
While the TDP came out with ‘Women Brigade’, the Jana Sena promised security and empowerment centres at the mandal level. It has to be seen as to which promises women in the State believe and which party they support on the D-Day.