“I'll prove that I'm a good Chief Minister for Andhra Pradesh within six months,” YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had said a year ago, during his oath-taking ceremony after an astounding victory in the 2019 Assembly elections. Marred with a series of political rows, Reddy’s government completed one year on Saturday.
After covering 3,648km Padyathra in 341 days, Reddy nailed a historic win when his party won 151 assembly seats out of 175 and 22 out of 25 Lok Sabha seats.
“We have fulfilled nearly 90% of the manifesto's promises,” said the Chief Minister, while speaking at the week-long flagship programme called 'Mana Paalana-Mee Suchana' (Our Governance-Your Suggestion).
During this one year, Reddy’s government launched many welfare schemes worth 40,000 crore rupees for a target of 3.5 crore people. However, the YSRCP government has been at the centre of criticism for being unable to create sources of income generation in Andhra Pradesh.
“Chief Minister Reddy has failed to develop income generation sources in the state. Without generating income, he is spending huge money to create a vote bank for their party in the name of welfare schemes. He destroyed the state for his ego. A total of 68 verdicts came from the state High Court against Reddy's government decisions since the beginning of his tenure. With this, we can understand how Reddy government has ruled in the first year," said Telugu Desam Party MP from Vijayawada, Kesineni Nani.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Industries Goutham Reddy rubbished allegations of “vote-bank politics.
"We are not spending any money on vote banks. In fact, it’s the Chandrababu Naidu’s government who indulged in it before the 2019 elections in the name of "Pasupu-Kumkam" scheme to attract the public, but people of Andhra Pradesh gave us tremendous victory. Our party fulfilled over 90% of manifesto promises within one year,” he said, alleging that the former CM pushed the state to a severe debt trap during his tenure.
“Naidu had taken loans at high-interest rates to spend before the elections for grabbing votes. Now we are setting up all in orderly. They don't have the right to question us over income generation in the state after leaving the state in so much debt. We are setting right all sectors, which were destroyed by them (TDP),” the Minister added.
Prior to the elections, Reddy had promised that he would ensure special status for the state if he gets 25 Lok Sabha seats. The YSRCP grabbed 22 Lok Sabha seats, however, the promise is still a distant dream.
Apart from the promise of special status, there is growing disenchantment over the Kadapa steel plant, which CM Reddy had laid the foundation of after sanctioning 20 thousand cores for the project. But, it is yet to be fully functional and needs adequate aid for the Centre for its completion.
"Unfortunately, we don’t see any help from the Centre because they got huge majority and don’t want support from any other party. So we can request at best, but can’t demand and we are doing our best. We will complete the Kadapa steel plant and whatever promise our government had made before the elections. One year is a short time to assess any government's capability,” said YSRCP MLC Shaik Mohammed Iqbal.
A total of eight welfare schemes, including Rythu Bharosa, fee reimbursement, Arogyasri, Jalayagnam, ban on alcohol, Amma Vodi, YSR Asara, and Cheyutha, Housing for poor, and Pension- enhancements, were launched since Reddy became the Chief Minister.
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