Political Diary

With campaigning set to end on Tuesday for the first phase of polling on April 16, the grand alliance partners are shouting from roof tops the virtues of two of their sops — free colour TVs and cash transfer — even as the Congress is vehemently trying to undo it. Though TDP, TRS and Left parties focused on other issues at the beginning of their campaign , as the polling day nears, they are tom toming about free colour TVs and cash scheme. Even the TV ads of the TDP speak endlessly of only the cash scheme. “In one go, the scheme will put an end to child labour, help children study and bail out the poverty-stricken families,” is the message of the ads. The grand alliance is also telling the electorate that the cash transfer scheme is ten times more beneficial than the national rural employment guarantee (NREG) scheme launched by the UPA government. "Through NREG, workers would get only Rs 10,000 a year as they get only 100 days of work. But the TDP’s cash transfer scheme will give each BPL family Rs 24,000 per year, which is equal to 240 days of work at the rate of Rs 100 per day," said a TDP leader. TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao told the voters in Asifabad in Adilabad district on Sunday: “If you fall prey to a liquor bottle from the Congress, you would lose a colour TV and bonanza in the form of cash.” On its part, the Congress is doing its best to counter the campaign. YSR and other leaders are attacking the scheme vehemently by dubbing it as unimplementable and harmful. “They are not able to show the source of funds for the schemes,” the CM ridiculed. The Congress has roped in cultural troupes to counter the the alliance. One such troupe performing at a meeting where Rahul Gandhi was the chief guest held out that viewing TV was harmful for children. Another troupe on Saturday asked people not to fall for TVs. Attacking the cash scheme, finance minister Rosaiah said Naidu was fooling people without revealing the source of funding.