Congress party, which is facing the toughest ever challenge to its very existence in Seemandhra region over bifurcation of the State, has showered the promises of free sops for different sections of voters.
In its election manifesto for Seemandhra, the Congress party has promised a free television and a dish connection for every poor family and free laptops for the students of Government schools.
The other highlight of the manifesto is the promise of 100 square yard plot in the name of a girl child at the time of her birth and construction of a house on the plot at the time of her marriage.
The manifesto, which was released by Union Minister Jairam Ramesh, has also promised free electricity to any household, which consumes less than 100 units per month.
The party has also promised to increase the retirement age for the government employees to 60 years from the present 58.
To the farmers, the Congress promised to create a calamity relief fund of Rs5,000 crore to help in case of loss of crops due to natural calamities.
“Polavaram project, which will irrigate 7 lakh acres of land and generate 900 MW electricity will be given status of a national project”, Jairam Ramesh said
The project, which will utilize 80 TMC feet of Godavari water, was facing opposition from Telangana region.
Several top Congress leaders including State Congress committee president N Raghuveera Reddy and campaign committee chief and Union Minister Chiranjeevi were present on the occasion.
Meanwhile the BJP in its election manifesto for Telangana region has also made identical promise of free laptop for meritorious students.
The manifesto released by the Telangana State BJP president G Kishan Reddy has also promised 1 Rs lakh cash award for girl students.
Party promised free laptops under the “Pratibha Kamalam” program covering 25,000 students of common entrance test for engineering, 500 top rank holders of 500 and top 500 students in MBA common entrance test. The party also promised Rs1 lakh cash award for top 2000 girl students of Eamcet (Engineering Agriculture, Medicine Common Entrance Test) and top 100 girls from MBA common entrance test.
Kishan Reddy said that the main focus of the party manifesto was the development of Telangana State. “The BJP had played a key role in achieving Telangana state and now party’s focus was on the over all development of the State”, he said.
For the farmers, BJP has promised nine-hour free power supply, up from the present seven hours, and a separate budget for agriculture sector.
Those who had committed suicide for Telangana have also found a place in party’s manifesto. BJP has promised a grand memorial for them and Rs10 lakh or three acres land to the family of each such person.
Telangana supporters claim that more than 900 people, mostly youth and students had committed suicide.