The TRS ensured that each citizen of Telangana is taken care of from cradle to grave, notes Aditi Phadnis.
It is not hard to work out why the Telangana Rashtra Samithi romped back to power in the country's youngest state -- the main reason is public spending.
According to the results, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's TRS won 88 seats in the 118-seat assembly. The Congress won 19, the Bharatiya Janata Party won 1 seat.
Rao, popularly known as KCR, dedicated the victory to the people of the state, and said he was confident of the state playing a bigger role at the national level.
Experts said the people of Telangana rewarded KCR for his public spending.
From the Rythu Bandhu scheme, which provides farmers an annual income of Rs 8,000 despite the size of their holding, to a virtually free insurance for tillers that gives their next of kin Rs 500,000 on their death, to 24x7 free electricity in agricultural areas -- all this contributed to his victory.
Sources said in Telangana under the TRS, the state took care of you from the cradle to the grave.
If you get married and don't earn a certain amount, you get a Shaadi Mubarak or Kalyana Laskhmi grant of Rs 100,000. Now that TRS is back in power, this would be increased to Rs 150,000.
If you are registered for a home, you will get a one-bedroom flat; a two-bedroom one if you are willing to shell out a little.
Mothers who opt for an institutional, normal delivery at government hospitals get Rs 13,000 if the newborn is male and Rs 15,000 if the infant is female. Moreover, she gets a KCR kit -- to help young mothers through the initial weeks.
There are government schools, and even some residential ones where the state bears the entire cost of housing, education, and food.
Now that they are back in power, more sops are likely.
The TRS will hike reservation for minorities from the current 7 per cent to 12 per cent in education and jobs.
Higher education will be another propriety area as is taking drinking water to every household.
