CWC meeting to begin in Hyderabad today; Assembly, Lok Sabha polls on agenda

Under the leadership of AICC chief Mallikharjun Kharge, the first meeting of the reconstituted Congress Working Committee (CWC) will be held in Hyderabad today to evolve a strategy for the upcoming assembly polls in five states and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Hyderabad: In a bid to prepare for the upcoming legislative assembly elections across five states, the Pradesh Congress Committee(PCC) is all set for the public meeting of the Congress Working Committee which will begin on Saturday and continue till Sunday. Holding the crucial meeting in the capital city of Telangana, the Congress has also sent out a message that it will go all-out to dislodge the BRS government in the poll-bound state.

The Committee will hold its first meeting after the new appointments of members to the CWC by the Congress high command. Notably, all the top leadership of Congress, including four Chief Ministers, will be present in Hyderabad on Sept 16 and 17. The first day of the meeting will witness the CWC meeting, followed by discussions with PCC presidents and CLP leaders on the second day. The same evening will feature a public meeting in Tukkuguda, with prominent leaders in attendance.

"We invited 159 people, out of them 147 people are attending the meeting on Sunday," Venugopal, a senior congress leader said. "On Sunday evening, which is celebrated as Telangana National Integration Day, the party will hold a 'mega rally' near Hyderabad where it will announce six guarantees for the Telangana assembly elections, Venugopal added.

On the crucial meeting, Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said,"This is newly formed Congrees working committee...Congress gave the status of state to Telangana and the meeting of the new CWC here shows that Telangana is an important state for us..."

While the MPs of the party would return to Delhi for the special session of Parliament after the rally, other leaders, CWC members, PCC presidents and CLP leaders will branch out to the various assembly constituencies

Discussion on upcoming Assembly elections

With Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Mizoram being the poll-bound states, the Congress is gearing up for a formidable contest against BRS in Telangana, while the party will face strong opponent BJP in Chhtaisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The assembly elections are viewed as a semi-final before the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for the following year. The crucial upfront elections have prompted the parties to hold discussions on strategies, programs, candidate selection, alliances, and more.

The influx of leaders in Hyderabad has already commenced, with senior figures such as Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi among others expected to arrive. Chief Ministers of Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Karnataka have also landed in Hyderabad, further amplifying the significance of the forthcoming meetings.

The Telangana Congress, with its focus mainly on the upcoming legislative elections, is set to create a positive atmosphere within the state, leveraging the CWC meetings and the presence of influential leaders. Several committees have also been formed at the state, district, and constituency levels considering the upcoming elections. Constituency-level meetings have been conducted to mobilize the public gathering set for the Sept 17, demonstrating the party's dedication to mass mobilization.