Politics

Rahul Gandhi’s Bus Yatra: Can it raise the Congress graph in Northern Telangana?

9 months ago
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RaGa Telangana

The Telangana assembly election campaign has posed a significant challenge for the Congress party. Despite being credited for the establishment of Telangana as a separate state, the party has suffered substantial decline in the past ten years. However, after the appointment of Revanth Reddy as State Congress President, the party has witnessed a resurgence. Under Revanth’s leadership, the party exudes confidence in securing victory this time. Despite internal differences among leaders, they have come together to overthrow the BRS party. With the announcement of the first list featuring 55 candidates, the party has already initiated their campaign in North Telangana through a bus yatra. Notably, former Congress party chief Rahul Gandhi is participating in the bus yatra. Nevertheless, it must be acknowledged that the party’s influence in North Telangana is weaker compared to South Telangana. Thus, the commencement of the ‘Vijayabheri Bus Yatra’ from North Telangana seeks to address this issue. But will Rahul’s bus yatra boost the party’s graph in North Telangana?

Will Rahul’s bus yatra impact North Telangana voters?

Top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, along with Priyanka Gandhi, started a bus yatra from Palampet in Mulugu district of North Telangana on the 18th of this month. This 3-day bus yatra covered various constituencies including Mulugu, Bhupalapalli, Manthani, Ramagundam, Peddapalli, Choppadandi, Karimnagar, Jagityala, Korutla, and Armoor. All of these constituencies, except Mulugu and Manthani, are within the BRS account. Gandra Venkataramana Reddy, who initially won on a Congress ticket in Bhupalapally, later joined the BRS. Despite North Telangana having the highest number of assembly seats in the state, the Congress only managed to win 6 seats in the last election. The Congress candidates who won in North Telangana are Seethakka from Mulugu Constituency, Jajula Surender from Ellareddy Constituency, Duddilla Sridhar Babu from Manthani, Jayaprakash Reddy from Sangareddy East, and Atram Sakku from Asifabad.

In the last election, the Congress won a total of 19 seats, with twice as many seats in South Telangana compared to North Telangana. However, out of the 19 seats won by Congress, 12 MLAs joined the BRS party, leaving Congress. The Congress also faced heavy defeat in the GHMC elections in Dubbaka, Huzurabad, and Munugodu by-elections. At one point, the BJP emerged as a strong opponent of BRS, pushing Congress back. However, as the assembly elections approached, the BJP fell behind in the political arena, and Congress regained its prominence. In the beginning, when Revanth Reddy took charge of the Telangana Congress, senior party members opposed him. However, as the elections neared, they united to confront BRS. Despite this, TPCC chief Revanth Reddy, MPs Komati Reddy Venkat Reddy, Uttam Kumar Reddy, and CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka, who are considered strong leaders in Congress, do not possess the capability to influence the entire state. However, despite the presence of TPCC chief Revanth Reddy, MPs Komati Reddy Venkat Reddy, Uttam Kumar Reddy, and CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka, who are currently considered to be the strongest leaders in the Congress, none of them have the ability to influence the entire state. Specifically, the party lacks a prominent figure capable of rallying support in North Telangana. Against this background, the Congress party initiated a Bus Yatra in North Telangana with Rahul Gandhi leading the campaign. Party leaders believe that this bus yatra will boost the party’s popularity, similar to the positive results of Rahul’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ in Karnataka.

Rahul tried to impress the people of North Telangana..

Rahul Gandhi attempted to win over the people of North Telangana through emotional speeches while also promoting the six guarantee schemes outlined in the Congress election manifesto. He claimed that both KCR and Modi’s relationship with Telangana was purely political, whereas the Congress party had a personal and familial connection to the state, dating back to Nehru, Indira, and Rajiv. To emphasise this connection, Rahul Gandhi said he brought his sister Priyanka along for the bus yatra to Telangana. He characterised the upcoming elections as a battle between the ‘Dorala Telangana and Prajala Telangana’, with the Congress party vowing to uphold the public’s hopes and aspirations. Furthermore, Rahul Gandhi accused the KCR, BJP, and MIM of being essentially the same, aligning themselves against the interests of the people of Telangana.

Rahul alleges that the KCR family is looting Telangana through corrupt rule and questions why the BJP, which is in power at the center, has not investigated the corruption of the BRS. However, he points out that the same BJP has filed over 20 cases against him for fighting for the rights of the people. Rahul accuses the BJP of targeting him, disqualifying him as an MP, and forcing him to vacate his house. Nevertheless, he states that he is not saddened by this and considers the entire country as his home. He mentions that both Prime Minister Modi and KCR are against conducting a caste census. Rahul promises that if the Congress comes to power in Telangana, they will conduct a caste census and prioritize each caste based on their population. He promised to reopen the sugar factories that were closed in Telangana. Rahul, in his speeches, made efforts to appeal to people from various sections including farmers, women, Singareni workers, and the youth during the bus yatra. But will the people of Telangana trust Rahul’s words? Will his bus Yatra improve the Congress party’s graph in north Telangana? The answer will be known on December 3rd when the election results are announced.

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