Banking on welfare beneficiaries, KCR eyes hat-trick as tough battle with Congress looms

At Maheshwaram in Rangareddy district, a huge crowd greeted Chief Minister and BRS supremo K Chandrashekar Rao or KCR with whistles and claps as he arrived to address a public meeting Friday. The CM asked the enthusiastic crowd comprising mainly youths to calm down as they chanted, “Jai KCR”.

The CM was interrupted by slogans as he started to speak in support of sitting MLA and minister Sabitha Indra Reddy. “When you go back from here, you should discuss among yourselves what the BRS has done over the last 10 years and what the Congress has done in the last 50 years. You should weigh in on what the BRS has given to the people and whether it should continue or not,’’ he said.

KCR then proceeded to ask the gathering why the state government should give pensions. “It is because it is the state’s responsibility to take care of senior citizens, single women, widows, and disabled persons. Unforeseen circumstances sometimes leave people helpless. My government is there for them. When I first floated the idea of giving pensions and asked officials to figure out how much would be enough, they came up with Rs 600 per month because the previous Congress government gave Rs 200 so they felt Rs 600 was reasonable. I started with Rs 1,000 and now we are giving Rs 2,000 per month. With the pensions we are giving they may not eat biryani daily but they will eat dal and rice (pappu / pulusu) and be content. They don’t have to face the ignominy of asking someone for money,” he said.

Projecting such welfare measures including Rythu Bandhu as his key schemes, KCR claimed, “Farmers are happy due to the support they get from the BRS government”. “We are providing free 24-hour power supply, buying all their paddy and depositing money in their accounts. If this continues for another 10-15 years, farmers will be rich and they will not require any government assistance,’’ he told the rally to boisterous cheers.

The two-term CM also pledged that the pension amount will be raised to Rs 5,000 per month when his government returns to power again. “BRS was born to fulfil the aspirations and dreams of the Telangana people. Telangana ka jung mein insaf hai.. neki hai…hamara jung mein insaf hai (There is justice and righteousness in Telangana’s fight, there is justice in our fight) ,’’ he said.

Highlighting a stable law and order situation on his watch, KCR charged that the region used to see clashes and curfews frequently during the previous Congress regime. “Not even a single curfew was imposed by the BRS government in the last 10 years. Jab Tak KCR zinda rahega..tab tak Telangana secular riasat bana rahega. (Till KCR is alive, Telangana will continue to have a secular dispensation). Hindus and Muslims are like two eyes to me,’’ he said.

Despite some discontent among small farmers (who own less than two acres of land) over paltry sum for them under Rythu Bandhu, the BRS leaders are hopeful that over 60 lakh farmers who have been beneficiaries of the scheme since 2018 will continue to back the BRS in the polls.

Following the Centre’s announcement of formation of the separate state of Telangana, its Assembly elections were held jointly with that of Andhra Pradesh in April-May 2014. Of Telangana’s 119 seats, the BRS (then known as Telangana Rashtra Samithi or TRS) won 63 seats as against the Congress’s 21, while the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) won 15 seats including 10 in and around Hyderabad.

In the 2018 polls, the BRS won 88 seats as the TDP vote base shifted to its fold. The Congress won 19 seats while the TDP could win only two.

This time, however, the BRS is facing a tough challenge with a resurgent Congress, energised by its Karnataka poll victory, undertaking a massive campaign across the state while also pledging a slew of similar welfare schemes if voted to power.

Farmers as key factor

Telangana Animal Husbandry Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav said farmers will be the “game changer” in the November 30 polls. “KCR and the BRS government are providing farmers with what they need the most before the sowing seasons – money to purchase seeds and fertilisers. The farm investment support has changed the lives of lakhs of farmers. We have procured every grain of paddy produced by Telangana’s farmers and we have their full support,’’ he said.

Speaking at a roadshow at Ameerpet in Hyderabad, Yadav told the people that Hyderabad and rest of the state “don’t face power cuts anymore”. “Businesses, commercial complexes, factories and offices needed power back-up gensets prior to 2014 because of power cuts. Today, BRS is ensuring 24-hour uninterrupted power. Let us not take the state back to those dark days. Vote wisely for the party that is doing so much for you,’’ he said.

Another group of beneficiaries on which the BRS is banking is Dalits. Under the Dalit Bandhu scheme, so far 40,000 beneficiaries have received the one-time financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh. The government has shortlisted 1.8 lakh more eligible beneficiary families and promised them that they will receive the assistance when the BRS forms the government again.

“Over 12.7 lakh women have each received Rs 1,00,116 under Kalyana Lakshmi/Shadi Mubarak scheme to help families bear wedding expenses. Over 44 lakh people receive pensions. In the wards and villages in rural constituencies, a few thousand votes from beneficiaries make the difference. When it is time to vote, all these people will remember how BRS schemes have improved their quality of life. We will score a hat-trick,’’ said Backward Classes (BCs) Welfare Minister Gangula Kamalakar while campaigning at Kothapally in the Karimnagar Assembly constituency.

“My vote is for KCR as he introduced Rythu Bandhu and pension. Nothing else matters,’’ T Hanumanthu, a small farmer on the outskirts of Karimnagar town, said.

Several paddy farmers at Hanamkonda near Warangal echoed similar sentiments, saying the government purchased their entire produce. “The money was deposited promptly. Paddy procurement centres that have been set up are of immense help,” said Nagaraj, a paddy farmer.

Showcasing welfare

The sitting BRS MLA from Chennur, Balka Suman, who is seeking re-election for the third time, feels the BRS has been “successful” in making voters aware of the government’s welfare schemes. “BRS is already implementing the schemes that other parties are promising and the voters know that. Over Rs 75,000 crore has been deposited in bank accounts of farmers under Rythu Bandhu alone over 11 crop seasons. Do you think farmers will forget that? KCR’s schemes have benefited all sections of people, not just the poor. If well-to-do people are enjoying uninterrupted power supply for 24 hours, it is due to BRS,’’ he said.

Speaking at a roadshow in Devarakonda, state IT Minister K T Rama Rao, son of KCR, listed out the welfare schemes. “When you go in to vote, the car symbol (BRS symbol) is fourth on the ballot paper. When you see it, you should recall what the BRS has done for you. Car gurtuke mana vote (our vote should be for car symbol),’’ he said, with the crowd repeating his slogan.