The Gandhi siblings will be in Telangana after the Rajasthan polling on 23 November, undertaking whirlwind tours across the state.
Published Nov 08, 2023 | 8:24 AM ⚊ Updated Nov 08, 2023 | 3:53 PM
Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi with Telangana Congress. (Supplied)
As the final stage of the battle for the Telangana Assembly approaches, the state Congress is rolling out the big guns. Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and other top leaders will visit the state after Deepavali — and embark on whirlwind tours across the poll-bound state.
Currently, Priyanka Gandhi is campaigning in Madhya Pradesh, which is scheduled for polling on 17 November. Rahul Gandhi, on the other hand, recently concluded a three-day tour of Kedarnath after completing the campaign in Chhattisgarh, which will conclude its two-phase election on 17 November.
Since the election dates for Telangana were announced, Priyanka Gandhi has visited the state once, and Rahul twice.
The first time, on 18 October, the brother-sister duo launched the Vijayabheri bus Yatra at Ramappa temple in Mulugu district. On his second visit, Rahul Gandhi visited the Medigadda barrage on 2 November, which is part of the prestigious Kaleshwaram project — claimed as its biggest achievement by the ruling BRS, but which is in he news for design and engineering deficiencies.
A highly placed source in the Congress told South First: “Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi are currently focusing on Madhya Pradesh, which is set to go to polls on 17 November, and Rajasthan on 23 November. The nomination and scrutiny process in Telangana will be completed by 15 November, and the two leaders are likely to arrive on 16 November.
“Both the Gandhis will adjust their dates to make sure both can campaign in Rajasthan and Telangana. And as soon as Rajasthan campaign ends, both of them will concentrate in Telangana and campaign until 28 November.”
“This move is expected to boost the spirit and morale of the cadre while simultaneously promoting the six guarantees promised by the Congress and raising awareness about Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s unfulfilled promises,” the source added.
On 9 November, BRS president and Telangana Chief Minister KCR will submit his nomination papers for two Assembly constituencies — Gajwel and Kamareddy.
The Congress has released its third list of candidates, accounting for a total of 114 candidates for the 119 seats in the Assembly. It has announced that Telangana state chief A Revanth Reddy will contest against KCR in Kamareddy.
A massive public meeting is planned in the Kamareddy Assembly constituency on 10 November, the day Revanth Reddy is set to file his nomination papers there.
Congress Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is likely to make the Backward Classes (BC) Declaration at the Kamareddy public meeting. He was asked by the Telangana Congress in August to reserve the date.
The Congress is also organising a Minority Declaration event on 9 November in Nizamabad, where key Congress minority leaders such as Salman Khurshid are expected to participate.
So far, the Telangana Congress has released a Farmers Declaration in Warangal, an SC & ST Declaration in Chevalla, and a Youth declaration in Hyderabad.
