Be united, go all out against BRS govt, Rahul tells Telangana Congress

The Congress has set its eyes on Telangana and wants its leaders in the southern state to go all-out against the ruling BRS in the upcoming Assembly polls -- Reports ETV Bharat's Amit Agnihotri.

New Delhi: Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday asked the Telangana leaders to sink differences, fight the coming polls unitedly and go all out against the state government.

“Rahul Gandhi gave a patient hearing to all the state leaders. He asked them to sink their differences, fight the polls unitedly and go all out against the state government. There may be small differences among the state leaders but Rahul Gandhi wants all of them to come together to defeat the ruling BRS,” AICC in-charge of Telangana Manikrao Thakre told ETV Bharat after Rahul, along with party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, reviewed the Congress poll preparations with the AICC and the state teams.

The comments are significant as Thakre had been deployed by Rahul as in charge of the state in January this year after infighting among state leaders led to the removal of former in-charge Manickam Tagore. To his credit, Thakre has so far been able to keep the flock united by letting both state unit chief Revanth Reddy and CLP leader Bhatti Vikramark carry out separate padyatras across Telangana to mobilize support and show strength.

Telangana will go to polls for the 119 assembly seats later this year. The Congress-led UPA government at the Centre had carved the new state out of Andhra Pradesh in 2013 but the BRS, formerly TRS, led by chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, has been in power since. The Congress senses a huge anti-incumbency for the state government and is trying hard to wrest power from the BRS. Accordingly, Rahul has given a target of winning 80 seats to the state team.

Rahul’s review of the poll preparations came a day after 35 senior BRS leaders joined the Congress in his presence. More leaders are in the pipeline, claimed Thakre, adding that the Congress is on a come-back trail. “The situation on the ground has changed. The BRS has not kept the promises that it made to the people in 2024. Rahul Gandhi asked us to go all out against the state government and expose its failures before the voters,” said Thakre.

“Rahul Gandhi said that due to the non-fulfillment of the poll promises by the BRS, there is a huge anger among the voters and the Congress should try to channelize this sentiment in its favour," he said. According to Thakre, former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had created the state after listening to the voices of the people but after 10 years, there is no change in the condition of the people.

"All the benefits have gone only to the BRS ruling family. The voters are suffering. They want a change. Rahul Gandhi has asked the party leaders and workers to be together and go to every household and tell them about the promises that we are making. The voters are looking up to the Congress,” said Thakre. “We have been asked to finalize programs for the women, minorities, farmers, youth, and OBC,” he said.

Interestingly, Rahul’s review on Telangana came on a day chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao along with senior BRS leaders attended a religious event in Maharashtra to make inroads into the western state. "Chief Minister KCR has been taking up such programs across the country to weaken the Congress and help the BJP wherever it is possible. In Maharashtra too, wherever the Congress is strong, he is trying to help the BJP,” said Thakre.