Hyderabad, November 13: In a low-key affair, the state Congress on Thursday released its manifesto for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections which promised to convert Hyderabad into a better place by giving all areas equal attention and developing them on the same scale.
AICC general secretary in-charge of Andhra Pradesh M Veerappa Moily failed to make it to the event and it was left to chief minister K Rosaiah, PCC president D Srinivas, Rajya Sabha MP K V P Ramachandra Rao and Greater Hyderabad Congress president D Nagender to jointly flag off the party’s campaign and release the manifesto.
Speaking at the event, the chief minister said all the 150 wards would be developed with modern amenities without any discrimination. The programme, attended by all the candidates along with ministers, MPs and other leaders, ended without any electrifying poll speeches. Earlier, the PCC president administered the party pledge to the candidates.
“It was the Congress that brought about the development of the city and its surroundings,” Rosaiah said and pointed to the recent opening of the PVNR Expressway as an example. He said priority would be given to bring order into the law enforcing and traffic management machinery.
Among the other promises made by Rosaiah were that the Congress would work to provide civic amenities, ration cards and essential commodities at affordable rates to the poor, specially for those living on the outskirts of Hyderabad that now form part of Greater Hyderabad.
D Srinivas claimed that the ruling party will campaign to win at least 100 of the 150 divisions of the GHMC.
However, it was clear that the leaders are banking on the popularity of the late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy for the party to put up a good show in the elections. This was made clear by both the CM and the PCC chief when they said that a resounding win for the Congress would be a fitting tribute to YSR.
The party is yet to formulate the modalities of the campaign. However, Rajya Sabha MP and former PCC president V Hanumantha Rao is starting his own campaign for the party candidates from November 13.
Starting from Ramanthapur, where he would address a public meeting with GHMC Congress president D Nagender and other leaders, Rao is scheduled to tour the entire GHMC area till November 21.
—Agencies