Hyderabad: Now that elections to Telangana State Legislative Assembly are on the cards, political parties have started making promises after promises with the main objective of luring the voters and winning the election by hook or crook. There is nothing new in different political parties releasing their manifestoes on the eve of elections and making tall promises to the people to win their confidence and grab power at any cost. But, past experience relating to implementation of the assurances and fulfilling the promises made shows that the election manifestoes and promises have no sanctity as such, and the people have lost faith in them.
Much before the election schedule is announced, the leaders of the Congress party on one hand and the BJP on the other, have started doling out promises to win the support of the voters. The voters, quite a majority of them, however, feel that the promises are meant only to lure them and many of them will not be implemented, as has happened in the past. In this context, they refer to the tall claims made by no less than present Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP National chief Amit Shah, the TRS President and Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao in Telangana and the TDP supremo and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, on the eve of last elections in 2014 which remained unfulfilled even after four years of their regime.
People are well aware of the promises made by the top BJP duo in regard to bringing back lakhs of Crores of black money stashed in foreign Banks “within 100 days of taking over governance” and distributing crores of Rupees to the poor people in the country; creating One crore jobs to the youth; ushering corruption-free India and the like, only to mention a few major ones. Forget about 100 days, nothing concrete has happened in regard to black money even after four years, and not one rupee has been given to even a single poor person from out of it. Similar is the case with One crore jobs and corruption-free India; but the BJP top leaders, including the Prime Minister continue to make loud pronouncements and tall promises.
Now, take the case of TDP and Chandrababu Naidu in Andhra Pradesh. Naidu had promised inclusion of Kapus in B C list, Waiver of farmers’ loans, creation of lakhs of jobs, payment of monthly allowance of Rs 2000 to all unemployed youth, abolition of belt shops (liquor), and the like. The waiver of farm loans was done in installments, as a result of which the farmers still remained in debts. The other promises were yet to be implemented. Soon after the Huddud cyclone in coastal area, the Chief Minister had doled out promises to the toddy tappers and other sections hit by the cyclone. After nearly three years, these promises were not yet fulfilled.
The situation is not different in Telangana State too. The TRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao has made an announcement that if the TRS was elected to power, a Dalit would be made Chief Minister. He also promised two lakh jobs to unemployed youth, etc. After becoming Chief Minister, KCR had promises to build and allot one lakh two-bed room houses to the poor. He totally forgot about Dalit chief Minister and was able to partially fulfil the promises relating to provision of jobs and two bed-room houses.
These leaders are fully aware of the promise they made, their implications and the problems and hurdles they have to face in implementing the same, as they were experienced politicians and held responsible positions earlier. As a matter of fact, they knew that some of the promises they made could not be implemented, but yet they made the promises clearly with an intention of luring the people, win the elections and come to power, some how or other. This amounts to cheating and fooling the people.
So far as the Congress is concerned, the party had made several promise at National and State levels, on the eve of every election and in the Governors’ addresses and Budget Speeches, during its long years of Governance. The promises which remain unfulfilled were numerous.
Now, that the elections in Telangana are on the cards, the Congress party, which could win only 25 out of 119 Assembly seats in 2014, has started making loud promises like filling up of one lakh posts in Government sector in the first year of governance itself, Rs 3,000 monthly allowance to each of the 10 lakh unemployed youth, free ration to Dalits and Girijans, waiver of farmers’ loans up to Rs.two lakh each at one go, interest-free loans and women groups, free electricity supply up to 200 units to the houses of dalits, sanction of interim relief to Government employees and appointment of Pay Revision Commission, Housing to homeless poor, free supply of fine rice and nine other items to the poor, in addition to six gas cylinders, doubling the pensions, and the like. What is important is that the Congress leaders, who appear to be frustrated as they were out of power and eager to come to power at any cost, are not announcing how they would mobilize the resources needed for implementing all the schemes they promise. Will they increase all the existing taxes, bus fares, property tax, liquor tax, etc. or what other steps they would take to mobile the resources is the big question. The ruling TRS leaders are stating that it requires the total budget of six States, to fulfill the promises made by the Congress in the State.
There is a feeling among some sections of people that there should be some authority to oversee how far each political party implemented the poll promises and also to take action against the parties which failed to fulfill the assurances given to the people. The Election Commission of India should be empowered to cancel the registration, disqualify from contesting the next election or take some other action for non-fulfillment of election promises. The political parties should not be allowed to make tall loud promises and go-scot free when they were not implemented, these sections feel. (NSS)
