The residual state of Andhra Pradesh is getting ready for its first municipal corporation elections in five major towns. For the ruling TDP, the elections, which come two and a half years after the party came to power post-bifurcation, are a litmus test or even a referendum.
It didn't come as a surprise when Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced that his government would build 1.2 lakh houses in various municipal towns which include Kakinada, Nellore, Tadipatri and Chilakaluripeta municipalities. Naidu is obvious and blatant in his effort to keep the urban voters happy and on his side.
The urban voters in the state are unhappy with the demonetisation and the lack-of-cash situation. Given that the TDP came to power in Andhra with the help of the BJP, the party is also at the receiving end over the currency crisis.
In most of the cities, the road conditions are poor. In Hyderabad, after much media coverage, some of the roads on major thoroughfares have been re-carpeted to silence the rising anger.
Now, Naidu has requested his officials to build houses which will last for long even as the construction cost of the house should be reasonable. The chief minister has also asked the officials to include maintenance since the people are complaining about bad conditions of houses after they were built by the government.
Naidu also checked the road conditions of about 110 municipalities and immediately asked his officials to take up road repair work.
