K Venkateshwarlu
Hyderabad
The Congress has been implementing multi-pronged strategies to face the Assembly elections. The party started its work a year ago by appointing political strategist Sunil Kanugolu, who may leave the state soon and started work at the ground level by conducting its own surveys. The party released the Rythu Declaration and Youth Declaration through former AICC President Rahul Gandhi at Warangal and AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi at Hyderabad respectively. Both drew good responses from the people.
The Rythu Declaration made it clear that the Congress will scrap the Dharani Portal immediately after coming to power, and this made BRS leaders respond on the Dharani issue again and again. The Youth Declaration too made BRS leaders respond.
Meanwhile, the police raided Sunil Kanugolu’s office twice and seized computer systems containing data. This happened before the Karnataka elections. However, the Congress high command speeded up its moves in Telangana after its victory in Karnataka.
The Congress high command appointed 17 in-charges in the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies. It is learnt that these 17 in-charges are senior leaders in their respective states and they are very close to Rahul Gandhi. They have already come to the state and have started work in their constituencies, it is learnt.
Meanwhile, the party handed over its Telangana War Room to former IAS officer Sasikanth Senthil Kumar, who played a key role in the party’s victory in the Karnataka elections staying behind the screen.
AICC secretary in-charge Duddilla Sridhar Babu worked along with Senthil Kumar and succeeded in the work assigned to him.
It is learnt that Senthil started his work after coming to Hyderabad with his team and that Senthil is in regular touch with local leaders who are not regularly seen at the Gandhi Bhavan.
The party has been preparing OBC, SC, ST, minority and Women’s Declarations. The party is going to release the Women’s Declaration at the Kollapur meeting being held on July 30.
Besides these activities, the party has been inducting leaders. The induction of Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy at the Khammam meeting infused confidence in the Congress as people had attended that meeting in a big way.
The Congress has been chalking out plans to attract a large number of people to its Kollapur meeting also at which former Minister Jupally Krishna Rao is going to join the party.
The Congress has been conducting examination of candidates and poll surveys in all Assembly constituencies. The party stated that it is going to finalise its list after examining the strengths and weaknesses of ticket hopefuls. The high command will finalise the lists after PAC and PEC meetings.
The party is appointing committees and subcommittees to conduct studies on issues like the Dharani Portal, GO No: 111 and others. The Committee on GO No: 111 has already submitted its report to the TPCC president.
The party has also appointed subcommittees to study the proposed bus yatra by its leaders.
The Congress has expanded its official spokespersons’ list and has appointed Pradesh Election Committee besides conducting several programmes every day.
Speaking to ‘The Pioneer,’ TPCC official spokesperson Boreddy Ayodya Reddy said that both the BRS and the BJP are cash rich parties and so the Congress is getting ready to face them using its weapons with the utmost care and assuring the people development, welfare and a good future.
