BRS’ Response to Congress on Six Poll Promises:
The ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) is gearing up for a strong response to the six guarantees put forth by the Congress leadership during the Vijayabheri meeting in Tukkuguda for the people of Telangana, according to insider sources.
In an assertive campaign, the BRS plans to refrain from making counter-promises but will instead emphasize that the Congress guarantees are unsubstantiated and impractical due to financial limitations. Having announced candidates for 115 Assembly constituencies nearly a month ago, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao will guide party leaders in reaching out to voters to counter the Congress’s six guarantees. According to estimates from the BRS think-tank, the implementation of Congress’s six guarantees would result in an annual expenditure of Rs 2.90 lakh crore, surpassing the state’s annual budget.
The budget for Telangana for the fiscal year 2023-24 is set at Rs 2.77 lakh crore, with the Congress guarantees exceeding this figure. Furthermore, the Party is still evaluating the financial burden on the state treasury to fulfill Congress’s promises, such as providing domestic LPG cylinders for Rs 500 and free travel for women on RTC buses.
As Congress leaders and activists are already distributing “guarantee cards” to constituents and seeking votes, the ruling party intends to engage with voters and raise awareness about the impracticality of implementing these promises by any government.
During the 2018 Assembly polls, the BRS had pledged a crop loan waiver of up to Rs 1 lakh for farmers, whereas the Congress promised up to Rs 2 lakh. However, the BRS emerged victorious with a significant majority, indicating that farmers were skeptical of the Congress’s Rs 2 lakh waiver due to doubts about its feasibility.
The BRS leadership is optimistic that a similar scenario will unfold in the upcoming Assembly polls this year if their party leaders and workers effectively engage with voters and highlight these concerns.
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