The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh, under sustained pressure from the Opposition YSR Congress and the BJP, is offering a multitude of sops such as hiking old age pension to ₹2,000 per month from ₹1,000 and ₹10,000 financial assistance to women’s self-help group (SHGs), clearly showing that it is leaving no stone unturned to get re-elected.

However, Will these last-minute welfare measures work? The YSR Congress Party is claiming that the TDP is only copying its schemes announced by Jaganmohan Reddy during the recently-concluded Padayatra (marathon walk across the 13 districts of the State).

‘Nothing to learn’

The CM is clearly in a panic mode. Doubling pension is a promise that we have made and the State government has announced it in a hurry from January this year. Why couldn’t he do it earlier? asked YSR Congress leaders.

State Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu was dismissive, “Surely, we have not sunk low enough to learn from Jagan. Anyhow, what do we have to learn from him? Should we learn how to perpetrate mega scams, robbing the exchequer of thousands of crores?”

Meanwhile, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has also laid foundation stones for several projects such as the Kadapa steel plant, the Kakinada petro-chemical complex and the Ramayyapatnam port in Prakasam district.

The Opposition remains critical of his actions. The Kadapa steel plant proposal is ridiculous. There is no iron ore linkage and no clearances have been obtained.

Many of them are under Centre’s control and yet the CM has gone ahead with foundation-laying, they said.