N Chandrababu Naidu, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, wasted no time in getting to work on Thursday, accepting five promises that were included in the manifesto of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Naidu assumed leadership of the Secretariat at Velagapudi, which is located in the Guntur district, at 4:41 p.m.
Naidu, who contested the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in partnership with Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party (JSP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), made the announcement that Amaravati will be the sole capital of the state immediately after decreasing the number of Assembly seats held by the YSR Congress (YSRCP) coalition led by Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to eleven. Along with the announcement of his desire to annul the Land Titling Act, he also made the decision to increase the amounts of pensions, publish an annual jobs calendar, and order a skill census.
What is the significance of the Amaravati decision?
When the TDP came to power in 2014, Naidu made the initial announcement that Amaravati will be the capital. However, the proposal was abandoned by the YSRCP government, which had advocated a “three capital formula” for “decentralized governance.” This occurred when the party suffered a loss of power in 2019, which resulted in the party being reduced to 23 seats.
The capital development project was put on hold by the Jagan regime, which resulted in the loss of employment opportunities and the livelihoods of thousands of people. In addition, it infuriated the farmers who, according to figures that are not officially sanctioned, contributed almost 33,000 acres of land to the capital.
“There is no question about this. It was inevitable that this would be the initial announcement. They voted him back to power in order to guarantee that they would receive a capital. There is still no capital for the state, despite the fact that it has been ten years since the state was split in two. In the next two to three years, we intend to establish the capital,” said a close aide of Tenali Sravan Kumar, who is a member of the TDP Legislative Assembly. In the Guntur district, the Tatikonda Assembly constituency includes Amaravati as one of its constituents.
What other decisions did Naidu make?
Increasing the amount of the welfare pension and revoking the Land Titling Act are two of the decisions that Naidu has made. Each of these concerns was brought up during the campaign.
In September of 2022, the government of the YSRCP passed the Land Titling Act, which was intended to digitize land survey records through the use of new surveys. In the course of the campaign, Naidu referred to the Act as a “Land Grabbing Act,” and he made a commitment to repeal it if he were to be elected to power. He claimed that the YSRCP had enacted a law that allowed them to seize land belonging to individuals under the guise of conducting surveys. People were moved by the problem, particularly in light of the allegations of inconsistencies that were found in a “Dharani portal” that was very similar to the one in the neighboring state of Telangana.
During the month of May, a top leader of the TDP expressed to The Indian Express that the matter had become a “game changer” for the party. “It was one of those issues in which we were able to establish the story. “Our persistent assaults on the government had been successful, and Jagan was compelled to respond to it, despite the fact that people began to believe that the YSRCP was plotting to take their lands,” the leader stated.
Second, there is the matter of pensions. During the month of April, the Election Commission (EC) issued a directive to the Jagan government, instructing them to refrain from assigning volunteers to any political action, including the delivery of pensions to doorsteps. The action provoked a fight between the TDP and the YSRCP, with Naidu’s party accusing the latter of “not having funds” to distribute welfare benefits. The fight was sparked by the move. Jagan, in turn, made the accusation that the EC was acting at the request of the TDP. This was the context in which Naidu made the announcement that he would increase the monthly pension from the current amount of Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000.
Welfare pension was one of the “Navaratnalu (nine gems)” that the Jagan government had in place, and the YSRCP chief was counting on it to assist him in navigating through the situation. However, it seemed as though the dispute had a negative impact on the prospects of his party.
What about jobs, investments, and other schemes?
The lack of jobs and investments was one of the primary campaign platforms that the TDP advocated for. During his campaign trip, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh accused Jagan of “regressive policies” that would “take the state back 20 years with his policies.” In his criticism, he pointed out that his predecessor had broken his promise to publish an annual district selection committee (DSC) job calendar.
In addition to being an effective administrator, Naidu has a demonstrated history of successfully attracting investments to the state. Furthermore, with the DSC file, he wants to demonstrate the public how Jagan had fooled them over the previous five years while also walking the words, as stated by a TDP politician from Kadapa, which is the territory of the YSR family.
Furthermore, the administration has made the decision to initiate the Anna canteen program and get it up and running. The plan was initiated by the Naidu government that was in power prior to the current one, and in 2018, breakfast, lunch, and dinner were all provided at a cost of five rupees. Although the Jagan government made some adjustments to the plan when it came to power, it was never successful in gaining traction. The plan was named after NT Rama Rao, the founder of the TDP, who was commonly known as “Anna” (older brother). The leaders of the TDP have asserted that the YSRCP purposefully completed the project in order to put a stop to NTR’s legacy. “By bringing the scheme back to its glory, the government will ensure that people are fed while NTR’s legacy remains intact,” said a leader of the Uttar Pradesh Democratic Party (TDP).
What is the skill census?
During the time leading up to the elections, Naidu offered his own take on the opposition’s call for a national caste census by requesting that a skill census be conducted. “By means of a skill census, we will determine the amount of expertise possessed by individuals and then evaluate it in relation to the global skill requirement. By doing so, we will be able to mitigate the deficiencies in people’s skills and increase their employability. As a result, it will invariably result in welfare,” he stated at the time.
What is the political signal that Naidu intends to send out?
Naidu is attempting to strike the iron when it is hot and increase his lead over the YSRCP at a time when it appears to be on its way out. According to the leaders of the TDP, Naidu is doing this by moving quickly to fulfill the promises that he made during the campaign trail.
During the campaign, Naidu made statements about welfare in addition to development. The first step he has taken toward it is this. This would also be a devastating blow to the YSRCP once it has been defeated since it will demonstrate to the public how a government can run without relying too heavily on assistance measures, according to a senior leader of the TDP.
Also Read: Chandrababu Naidu Announces Amaravati As Sole Capital Of Andhra