Congress-backed sarpanch hopefuls lure voters with impractical promises in Karimnagar

Congress-backed sarpanch candidates are making extravagant and impractical promises—from fixed deposits for newborn girls to village-wide monkey control—raising concerns among voters. Some have even issued bond papers pledging to resign if they fail to deliver, drawing scepticism across mandals

Karimnagar: Sarpanch candidates backed by the ruling Congress party are making tall promises to attract voters ahead of gram panchayat elections. In their bid to secure the posts at any cost, they are assuring benefits, many of them impractical.

Many are even promising initiatives that are not within the purview of gram panchayats. While some are claiming they will provide jobs to unemployed youth, others are promising to fix deposits in the name of newborn girl children.

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Two aspirants, Etikyala Raju from Arepalli in Vemulawada mandal and Margam Mallesham from Madapur in Ganneruvaram mandal are assuring voters that they would deposit amounts in the names of newborn girls if elected as sarpanches. Raju has promised Rs 10,000 for each newborn girl and Mallesham Rs 5,000. Despite their limited financial capacity, they are making such impractical assurances to influence voters. Both are contesting in the gram panchayat polls with the support of the Congress party.

Meanwhile, Moluguri Chiranjeevi, contesting from Vennampalli in Saidapur mandal, has promised to make the village free from monkey menace. Going a step further, he has assured to allocate Rs 1.5 lakh every year to catch monkeys. Chiranjeevi, a Congress supporter, has already begun engaging monkey catchers at his own expense.

Another sarpanch aspirant, Rajeshwari from Chenjerla in Manakondur mandal, has issued a bond paper pledging to resign from her post and wear a slipper garland offered by villagers if she fails to fulfil her promises within three years. She has promised a 12-bed hospital, mini function hall, open gym, a permanent solution to monkey menace among others.

However, residents are sceptical about claims of controlling monkeys, pointing out that even major municipalities and corporations have failed to find a permanent solution. Regarding fixed deposits, many say Congress candidates appear to be following the example of their party, which, they allege, made tall promises before coming to power and ignored them later.