The Andhra Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party has launched a sharp attack on the previous YSR Congress Party government, alleging a large-scale political fraud in the name of distributing house site pattas to poor families between 2019 and 2024.
As part of its statewide outreach programme, Janata Varadhi, BJP leaders submitted petitions to District Collectors across Andhra Pradesh. The party says it received widespread complaints from beneficiaries who were handed land ownership documents but were never given actual possession of land. According to BJP State president P. V. N. Madhav, what was projected as a welfare initiative turned out to be a calculated electoral strategy ahead of the 2024 Assembly elections.
The previous government had claimed that more than 30 lakh house site pattas were distributed under its flagship housing promise. However, the BJP alleges that in several cases, beneficiaries were given certificates without demarcated land, without site allocation, and without construction of houses. Many families who attended public distribution ceremonies are still living in huts or rented accommodation. A patta without land is nothing but a cruel deception, Mr. Madhav said.
The BJP argues that the issue is not merely a case of administrative negligence. It describes the programme as a deliberate attempt to create the perception of large scale welfare delivery while actual ground level implementation remained incomplete. The party has demanded a comprehensive probe into all pattas issued between 2019 and 2024. It aims to identify cases where land was not allotted, verify documents that may be invalid or irregular, and take criminal action against those found responsible.
According to BJP leaders, if any forged or misleading documentation was used to influence voters, it could amount to electoral malpractice. They have urged the present coalition government in Andhra Pradesh to initiate an independent investigation and ensure accountability.
The BJP has also highlighted that substantial Central funds were allocated under housing schemes spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide homes for the poor. The party alleges that irregularities in the State undermined these efforts and deprived genuinely deserving families of permanent housing.
Calling the matter a human rights issue, Mr Madhav stated that exploiting the housing dreams of economically weaker families for political mileage is a grave betrayal. The BJP insists that beneficiaries must receive actual land and completed houses, not just paperwork.
The political battle between BJP and YSRCP over the housing programme appears set to become a major issue in Andhra Pradesh’s post election landscape, as the YSRCP is struggling for a friendship with BJP.
