During the assembly election campaign, the Congress party pledged to implement six major guarantees. Top Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi, endorsed these assurances, taking responsibility for implementing them. However, nearly a year into their tenure, the promises remain largely unfulfilled.
At the Congress rally in Tukkuguda, Rangareddy district on September 17, 2023, Congress leaders assured the people of Telangana that the Mahalakshmi scheme, one of the six guarantees, would be implemented immediately upon coming to power. Sonia Gandhi promised women Rs. 2,500 each month through the scheme.
Rahul Gandhi assured that Telangana would follow Karnataka’s example by approving the guarantees in the first cabinet meeting. Yet, after ten cabinet meetings, these promises have seen little progress, and the assurances remain unmet.
Adding to the disappointment, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s recent comments raised doubts about the feasibility of the promises. Kharge urged caution in making commitments that could financially strain the state, sparking political backlash. Citizens in Congress-ruled states and Telangana felt misled, questioning why such concerns weren’t voiced earlier.
Many are frustrated, asking why Kharge, who was on the same platform as Sonia and Rahul when these promises were made, didn’t address the potential fiscal constraints then. Despite the lack of progress, top leaders Sonia, Rahul, and Priyanka Gandhi have remained silent, causing further unrest among the people of Telangana.
Telangana public feel deceived, having voted based on the six guarantees, including Rs. 2,500 for women and Rs. 2 lakh in farm loan waivers, and they are now demanding action. Congress also promised increased support for BC communities. At the Kamareddy BC Declaration meeting on November 10, 2023, AICC in-charge Manikrao Thackeray announced that BC reservations in local bodies would rise from 23% to 42%.
He also promised that government civil contracts would be reserved for BCs, but, 11 months later, not a single BC has benefited from these contracts. Other promises, such as fee reimbursements, self-employment loans, and the construction of BC welfare centers, also remain unmet.
Congress had committed to a loan waiver of Rs. 2 lakh for farmers, along with an investment support of Rs. 15,000 per acre under Rythu Bharosa. Despite assurances for farmer welfare, loan waivers have yet to be implemented, and farmers remain in limbo. Other promises, including incentives for milk producers, also remain unfulfilled.
During a youth rally in Saroornagar, Priyanka Gandhi promised the withdrawal of cases against Telangana movement activists, as well as government identity cards and jobs for the families of those who were martyred. She also pledged 2 lakh government jobs within the first year, with priority for SC, ST, BC, and minority backlog posts. So far, these promises have also seen little action.
As Telangana’s people await Congress’ six guarantees, they are questioning why the Congress party’s top brass, who campaigned vigorously before the elections, are now tight-lipped.