Congress employs Karnataka tactic in Telangana, key BRS rebels set to join party

The Congress aims to pull a Karnataka in Telangana and expects several BRS leaders to join the party ahead of the Assembly elections in the southern state later this year. -- Reports ETV Bharat's Amit Agnihotri.

New Delhi:The Congress is planning to rope in several leaders of the ruling BRS in Telangana in a repeat of its strategy in the recent Karnataka polls.

Telangana will have assembly polls later this year and the Congress managers hope that the party’s recent win in Karnataka will have a bearing in the neighbouring state. Before the Karnataka polls, several important BJP leaders had joined the Congress indicating that the saffron party was losing grip on power.

Congress leaders claim that a similar trend is being noticed in Telangana where party managers are in touch with key BRS leaders who may be willing to switch sides. "There are many leaders in the pipeline who want to join the Congress. They are in touch with us both at the state and the central level. I am not going to name which party they belong to. Things will unfold gradually over the coming days. A Karnataka-like trend is taking shape in Telangana as well. Things have changed and we are confident of forming the next government,” AICC in-charge of Telangana Manikrao Thakre told ETV Bharat.

Thakre’s comments came after hectic parleys took place over the past few days in the state. On Wednesday, former MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy met Telangana Congress chief Revanth Reddy, who discussed the former MP’s joining along with senior leader and MP Venkat Reddy. The same day, Revanth Reddy also met former minister and BRS leader Jupalli Krishna Rao, who may also join the Congress soon, said party insiders.

On Thursday, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy met Congress Legislative Party leader Vikramark Bhatti to discuss his proposed joining. Party insiders said a big rally is being organized in Khammam towards the end of June where Jupalli Krishna Rao may join the Congress along with several other leaders, including some ex-MLAs.

Recently, Congress MP Venkat Reddy held a strategy session with Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who is monitoring the developments in Telangana and addressed a significant rally near Hyderabad on May 8, the last day of campaigning in Karnataka. Priyanka had announced a slew of welfare measures the Congress is going to take for the benefit of the people if the party comes to power. During his meeting, Venkat Reddy requested her to do a rally in Nalgonda.

The two top state Congress leaders including Revanth Reddy and Vikramark Bhatti have done extensive yatras across the state over the past months to mobilize support among the voters where they flagged the shortcomings of the state government. “Over the coming weeks, a bus yatra, on the lines of Karnataka, is also being planned in Telangana,” said in-charge Manikrao Thakre.

The bus yatra was to start in June but will now be launched after the rains are over, said party insiders, adding that like Karnataka, the bus yatra in Telangana would project unity among the state leaders and highlight the tried and tested collective leadership model that worked in Karnataka.

“Over projection of any leader, however popular, should be avoided. It is always better to go by the principle of collective leadership which keeps the voters glued to the party’s programs and policies. Once the party wins the polls, who will be chief minister can be resolved through consultations,” a senior AICC functionary said.