Telugu Desam Party president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu claims himself to be the senior most politician in the state, if not country, with four decades of political experience behind him.
But he seems to be lacking the basic knowledge about the gram panchayat elections, which are held purely on non-party basis and contestants do not use any party symbols. As such, political parties also do not release their manifestos unlike in other elections.
Yet, Naidu released his party’s election manifesto for the gram panchayat elections in Andhra Pradesh on the eve of the commencement of the first phase of elections.
Apart from Naidu’s picture, the manifesto also has images of party founder N T Rama Rao and Naidu’s son Nara Lokesh, besides TDP Andhra unit president K Atchan Naidu.
Interestingly, Naidu makes all sorts of promises to the people, as if they are assembly elections – like free safe drinking water supply to every household, installation of CCTV cameras at all temples in the villages for their protection, free education to girl children etc.
He also promised that the TDP, if voted to power in the state in the next elections, would ensure construction of houses for all the beneficiaries in 100 square yards plots at a cost of Rs 3 lakh each.
Some of these promises can be implemented only by the state governments. When the TDP is not in power, how can it implement them in the villages, if voted to power in the gram panchayat elections?
