Funds for freebies: No party has any clue

How to win elections? That is the one-point strategy of political parties. Many new CM aspirants are arriving on the political scene.

In Andhra Pradesh, Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan who claims to have entered politics with a long-term strategy of 25 years has now announced his intention of coming to power in the next elections. This time, all parties, whether it is the ruling YSRCP or TDP or the Jana Sena, are targeting the youth. The YSRCP is confident that polarising people on caste basis and holding job melas will help it come back to power and wants to be in power for next 20 years.

The TDP is harping on the list of failures of the YSRCP government like how the state has been pushed into debt trap, how there has been no growth in industrialisation, and the issues pertaining to law and order such as recent spurt in incidents of rape cases.

The Jana Sena promises to turn Rayalaseema into Ratnala Seema (Land of Diamonds). They allege that though Andhra had seen several CMs from this region, people continue to remain backward and poor while the leaders became rich. The JS would be focussing its campaign on doing justice to tenant farmers and uplift of youth.

All these electoral promises seem to be interesting. But the big question is how many parties have really probed into the real financial situation of the state and how they would fulfil the promises they are making for electoral gains. No party seems to have really made any study nor have an alternative viable economic strategy. Any government that comes to power will have an uphill task. If they do not seriously work out an action plan, history will repeat and they will try to come up with excuses for not being able to implement the promises.

The scene is no different in Telangana. There are any numbers of aspirants who want to sit in the chair of the Chief Minister. Though Rahul Gandhi has asked the leaders to go to people and explain the Warangal declaration, the disunity in the party poses a threat to its electoral prospects. The BJP which is going aggressive has its own problems. Here too there are many aspirants in case it comes to power.

The TRS which is facing anti-incumbency factor is also not free from its cup of woes. It has decided to sail on two boats. It wants to come back to power in the state and wants to be a major player in national politics, too.

All would depend on money, caste and muscle power and mudslinging against one another. The leaders will mock at one another's failures and trade barbs. They will make unrealistic and tall promises. Sounds pessimistic, but the fact is nothing much is going to change unless people seriously want to bring about a change in the society.