With the Assembly elections in Telangana scheduled for December this year, the Congress party is gearing up to release its manifesto. Although the document is yet to be finalised, party leaders are already discussing a range of welfare benefits they plan to offer if they come into power.

As Congress leaders connect with voters across different districts, they are highlighting several promises they intend to fulfill. These include providing eligible beneficiaries with an LPG cylinder at a subsidised price of Rs 500.

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Additionally, they plan to offer crop investment assistance of Rs 15,000 per acre to all farmers, including tenant farmers—an increase of Rs 5,000 compared to the current assistance provided by the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) government led by K Chandrashekar Rao. Notably, the existing assistance does not cover tenant farmers.

The Congress party is also looking to extend monthly pensions of Rs 4,000 to unemployed individuals, senior citizens, widows, and disabled persons. During recent meetings with mandal presidents, the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) emphasised that if elected, their government would implement a crop loan waiver of Rs 2 lakh for farmers and provide Rs 5 lakh assistance for housing construction through the “Indiramma housing scheme.” Additionally, they proposed offering free medical treatment up to Rs 5 lakh under the “Rajiv Arogyasri Scheme.”

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The Congress manifesto will draw significant inputs from Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mallu Bhatti Vikaramarka, who has been conducting a state-wide padayatra (foot march), reports The Indian Express.

“Based on his interactions with people – about people’s expectations and demands – he (Vikaramarka) will provide critical inputs which will be used to prepare the manifesto, along with surveys which are being carried out. On the other hand, there are many benefits that the party will announce, which were successful in wooing voters in Karnataka,” said TPCC President A Revanth Reddy.

Congress leader Kodanda Reddy revealed that Vikramarka received feedback from villages expressing opposition to the Dharani portal, the integrated land records management system of the BRS government. Reddy assured that Congress, if elected, would make significant changes to the portal.

Mandal presidents have been instructed to tour villages and inform people about the proposed schemes and benefits that the Congress party intends to implement after securing a mandate in the upcoming polls.

TPCC has also initiated the appointment of coordinators at the village/ward, mandal, and Assembly levels to disseminate this information through social media platforms. To facilitate this process, new mandal presidents have been appointed for 85 out of the state’s total 119 Assembly constituencies.

However, these recent appointments have caused discontent among some grassroots leaders, leading to protests outside the state Congress headquarters. TPCC Vice President Mallu Ravi, along with All India Congress Committee (AICC)’s Telangana in-charge Manikrao Thakre, intervened to address their concerns and restore peace within the party ranks.