Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, whose parties are in an alliance formed to take on the Telangana Rashtra Samiti for the December 7 polls, will address meetings together in Khammam and Hyderabad in Telangana on Wednesday.
“The public meetings and roadshows are going to create a storm in the ensuing elections in Telangana,” TDP spokesperson Lanka Dinakar told ANI
TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, also known as KCR, is seeking a second term as chief minister after dissolving the 119-member assembly in September. KCR’s party TRS is fighting in all seats, while TDP (Telugu Desam Party) has joined hands with Congress, CPI and Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS) to form a grand alliance ‘Mahakutami’ .
Telangana is the first electoral outing for the ‘Mahakutami’ and a stepping stone for the Lok Sabha elections. Naidu, who parted ways with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in March this year over the Centre’s refusal to grant special status to Andhra Pradesh, has been gathering Team Opposition against the ruling BJP for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Telangana is witnessing a vigorous campaign with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah and UPA chairperson, cabinet ministers and Opposition leaders holding campaign rallies in the state.
In a recent meeting, Modi took a dig at KCR’s promise to turn Nizamabad into London. “While coming here I asked pilot (of the chopper) to take a round to see if he has done this. I found that towns in states with relatively weak economy are better than Nizamabad,” he said.
In its response, KCR termed as the “biggest lie” Modi’s claim that people of Nizamabad are facing electricity problem. He also remarked that he had never seen such an “ignorant” Prime Minister.
Sonia Gandhi, who visited Telanagana for the first time on Friday, in an emotional pitch said, “It is an emotional moment for me, as I feel like a mother who is meeting her children after several years.”
She called upon the people of the county’s newest state to teach a fitting lesson to TRS for completely shattering their hopes and aspirations in the four-and-a- half years of its rule.
After addressing a eventful public meeting in Khammam this afternoon, congress president and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu will address another meeting in Hyderabad in the evening.
While the meeting at Khammam is slated to be held at 2:30pm, the one in Hyderabad is scheduled for 6:00pm. The rest of the common scheduled is yet to be finalised, but indications are that Rahul will hold roadside meetings in the city in areas like Nampally.