As the coalition government completes two years in power, public debate has shifted sharply to one question: delivery or delay?
With the third budget around the corner, welfare beneficiaries across Andhra Pradesh are openly comparing the rule of Jagan Mohan Reddy with that of Chandrababu Naidu.
Under Jagan’s tenure, welfare schemes ran on a fixed calendar. Money reached beneficiaries regularly, even during the COVID crisis.
Every month, some section of people had cash in hand, keeping the economy moving. That consistency built trust.
Under the present coalition, big promises like Super Six grabbed votes, but implementation has been patchy.
Massive borrowings, delayed schemes, reduced beneficiaries, and missing welfare calendars have triggered disappointment. Apart from pensions, most promises are either diluted or delayed.
Farmers are still waiting for Annadata Sukhibhava. Women have seen only partial benefits. Roads remain broken, and development claims are hard to spot on the ground. Despite this, the government continues to project welfare as a “super hit”.
With dissatisfaction growing quietly among beneficiaries, the Jagan–Babu comparison is now unavoidable. As elections inch closer, this welfare face-off could decide the political mood of the state.