VIJAYAWADA: The TDP and YSRC, which are fighting neck and neck in the ongoing election campaign, are yet to come up with their election manifestos though there are hardly 20 days left for the D-Day. Both the parties have already announced a slew of sops. The ruling and opposition parties are now learnt to be brainstorming on what more to offer to the people keeping in mind the precarious condition of the State finances.
A senior TDP leader told Express that the party’s manifesto committee headed by Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, is giving finishing touches to the document. He indicated that the TDP may promise to further hike social security pensions from the existing Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 per month, offer free power supply to farmers from 9 hours to 12, increase retirement age of Class IV employees to 62 from 60 and allocate Rs 5,000 crore for price stabilisation fund for benefit of farmers.
He pointed out that several other schemes such as Annadata Sukhibhava were already announced. TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu has already gone through the draft of the manifesto and is learnt to have suggested some tweaks. It is likely to be announced in a day or two. As far as YSRC is concerned, it has already announced nine flagship schemes christened ‘Navaratnas’. They include YSR Rythu Bharosa, fee reimbursement for students, health insurance for all, irrigation projects, phased ban on liquor, Rs 15,000 to every family for sending children to school, hike in social security pension to Rs 3,000, housing for all and Rs 75,000 to women aged above 45 hailing from BC, SC, ST and minority communities in four years.
The YSRC manifesto committee headed by Ummareddy Venkateswarlu, is working on fine-tuning promises other than Navaratnas. Sources said both the parties are in a waiting game to see what the other offers and go one up. The delay in releasing the manifestos is attributed to it. The BJP is set to release its election manifesto on March 26.