Telangana State Polls: BRS, Congress, BJP Wage Battle Of Freebies

Telangana gears up for the assembly polls on November 30, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), the Congress, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are rigorously campaigning. The Congress in Telangana has vouched a chain of commitments, including conducting a caste census and raising reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) to 42 per cent, as well as increasing Scheduled Tribes’ (STs) reservations to 12 per cent. The party also pledged to sub-categorise Scheduled Caste (SC) and ST categories within the state, and promote reservations for backward classes in local bodies to 42 per cent. The Congress promises six guarantees, featuring the ‘Mahalakshmi’ scheme for women offering ₹2,500 per month, gas cylinders for ₹500, and free bus travel. The ‘Rythu Bharosa’ focuses on farmers with ₹15,000 per acre and agricultural benefits. The ‘Gruha Jyothi’ ensures free electricity, while the ‘Indiramma Indlu’ provides housing for Telangana movement fighters. The ‘Yuva Vikasam’ targets youth with educational support, and the ‘Cheyutha’ guarantees pension and insurance for senior citizens. The BJP has promised a OBC Chief Minister, and the immediate formation of a committee for the sub-categorization of the SC. The BJP focuses on a comprehensive investigation into the irregularities under the BRS government’s rule, pro-farmer measures, health initiatives, and economic revival. The manifesto includes the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, minimum support price for paddy, and infrastructure plans. Surprisingly, the BJP promises four free cylinders yearly for poor women. On the other hand BRS pledges the ‘KCR Bheema’ insurance of Rs 15 lakh and the ‘Telangana Annapurna Scheme’ for fine rice. The Rythu Bandhu’s farmers’ insurance increases to ₹16,000 per acre, with subsidised cylinders for Rs 400 for BPL families. Meanwhile the Jamaat-e-Islami Telangana supporting 69 candidates fighting on a Congress ticket and 41 candidates fighting the elections on BRS tickets. While the organisation also supported the candidates of seven All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) candidates, and one candidate each from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) as well as the Communist Party of India (CPI).

KERALA LDF WELL SET TO FIGHT CONGRESS-LED UDF IN 2024 POLLS

In Kerala, Left Democratic Front government has initiated its strategic preparations for 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Led by the CM Pinarayi Vijayan , the LDF is aspiring hopes on the State government’s public outreach programme Nava Kerala Sadas to strike a better tuning with the people in the state. The state cabinet will commute together to address public grievances and showcase the future course of action and development plans for Kerala and its achievements. Designated counters will accept complaints three hours before the start of the Nava Kerala Sadas in all constituencies. To facilitate a smooth and streamlined process, separate counters have been set up for senior citizens, differently-abled individuals, and women. Pinarayi and his council of ministers have given directions to officials to settle all complaints within 45 days. The outreach programme will conclude on December 23 at the Vattiyoorkavu constituency in Thiruvananthapuram. Meanwhile LDF is pitted against the Congress led United Democratic Front that won 19 of the 20 Lok Sabha seats in 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The LDF is eying at least half of the seats this time.

CONGRESS GOVT IN KARNATAKA SPLIT OVER CASTE CENSUS EXECUTION

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been demanding nationwide caste census with the aim to better evaluate t the situation of India’s Dalits, OBCs, poor and advocating OBC quota in women reservation but the ruling Congress in Karnataka seems to hold a different opinion and hence divided on the issue of caste census as Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar on Wednesday said he signed a petition urging Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to reject the caste census report, which is expected to be submitted soon. While Siddaramaiah was ready on accepting the caste census report and implementing it to ensure equal opportunities to all, Ministers belonging to the dominant Vokkaliga and Veerashaiva-Lingayat communities have been persistently opposing it by saying that the census had not been taken scientifically.

SAMAJWADI PARTY PRESIDENT AKHILESH YADAV CONCLUDES PDA YATRA

As differences with the Congress party are still going on , Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav claimed that “bicycle people” will win the 2024 Lok Sabha polls (in Uttar Pradesh) and that “the Pichhde, Dalit, Alpsankhyak’ (PDA) will defeat the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA)”. Akhilesh made the statement at the concluding ceremony of the ‘Samajwadi PDA Yatra’ in his ancestral Saifai village in Etawah district. The cycle yatra was concluded in 102 days after being launched on August 9 this year from Prayagraj. The yatra concluded at the samadhi of SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav on the eve of his birth anniversary. On the other hand Akhilesh Yadav is now focusing with full intensity on its PDA (Pichhde, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) plank and looking to woo Dalits and directly connecting with the youth of every village and chalking out a strategy for the future. SP has started preparation for Mission 80 in Uttar Pradesh for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

PRAKASH AMBEDKAR’S VBA MAY JOIN INDIA BLOC BEFORE 2024 LOK SABHA POLLS

With Lok Sabha elections approaching, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena held a meeting in Mumbai, discussing strategies for the Lok Sabha elections, Shiv Sena (UBT) is geared to contest the 2024 elections in alliance with NCP (Sharad Pawar) and Congress under the banner of the opposition alliance INDIA. To secure its share of seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) is actively negotiating, and the strategy for the same was discussed. The meeting also addressed the ongoing hearing of disqualification pleas filed by the Shiv Sena factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde against each other’s MLAs. Meanwhile Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) leader Prakash Ambedkar’s invite to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to attend the ‘Samvidhan Samman Mahasabha’ in Mumbai on November 25 has sparked speculation of the VBA joining the Opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc. The meeting comes on the eve of Constitution Day, which marks the adoption of the Constitution of India on 26 November, 1949.The Samvidhan Samman Mahasabha would be held at the historic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park at Dadar in Mumbai, which is near Chaityabhoomi, where the last rites of Dr Ambedkar was performed. (IPA Service)