Hanamkonda: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi kickstarted his two-day Telangana tour on Friday by directly announcing the party's strategy to take on both BJP and the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in the state. Gandhi, after landing at the Shamshabad Airport headed straight to Hyderabad, and subsequently took a chopper ride to Gabriyal school ground in Hanamkonda to appear before the crowd.
"A person committed thousands of crores of corruption in Telangana. People know that person. Congress does not have any relationship with the cheaters and cheating parties. We will deport any person who talks about alliances. No one should be a member of the Congress party who has an alliance with TRS and BJP. We will directly fight with TRS and BJP," the Congress leader said.
The Rythu Sangharshana Sabha, as the event has been described, saw Gandhi list out Congress' agricultural policy for the state. Noted names among Telangana Congress ranks, such as TPCC President Revanth Reddy, MPs Uttam Kumar Reddy, Komati Reddy Venkat Reddy, CLP Leader Bhatti Vikramarka, MLA Seethakka, and other MLAs and leaders, participated in the sabha.
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"Telangana was not formed very simply. It was formed by the sacrifice of a lot of people. It was not formed for one person or one family. TRS government did not fulfill the dreams of the people of Telangana. Farmers and unemployed suicides are going on," Gandhi said, adding that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi agreed to the formation of Telangana, even though she knew that there would be a loss to the Congress party.
"We hoped farmers and the people's government would be formed in the separate state. But TRS government did not listen to people's problems. Farmers are not getting supporting prices in the state and country. Here I am announcing the Warangal declaration as historic. We will fulfill the dreams of Telangana," Gandhi further said.
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The event is largely seen as Congress' stepping stone in the southern state ahead of its 2023 assembly elections campaign. Gandhi also made several proposals, such as a promise to provide Rs. 15000 an acre to farmers in the state as crop investment, repeal of the land record portal 'Dharani', an insurance scheme for farmers without land, Rs 2,500 and Rs 12,000 per quintal supporting price for paddy and turmeric crops respectively.