Rahul visit boosts Congress confidence for ensuing poll battle
Hyderabad: The Congress Party in Telangana State, plagued by unabashed internal bickering of late, is now brimming with new found energy and enthusiasm and thus gearing up itself with renewed confidence to face any challenge in the ensuing 2019 electoral battle.
This sudden morale boosting effect on the party was the result of the two-day visit of AICC President Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts. The Gandhi scions hurricane visit has not only acted as a shot in the arm for the party leaders and cadre, but also electrified the political atmosphere in the state. As a matter of fact it has not only set the tone for both the Congress and TRS to draw the battle lines for a prestigious poll clash but also triggered off a bitter war of words between them.
The no-holds-barred slug fest between senior leaders of both the Congress and TRS started off after Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the TRS government and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s “family rule” in the state. He lashed out at KCR for failing to protect the welfare and interests of the people, especially the poor and downtrodden, and working only to benefit his family. He also charged the CM of failing to fulfil his numerous poll promises like providing double bedrooms for the poor and ensure job opportunities for unemployed youth, neglecting empowerment of women and providing them the promised financial assistance.
The unprecedented reception accorded to Rahul Gandhi and the huge response received during his public rallies seemed to have undoubtedly forced KCR to immediately initiate damage control measures by holding the party’s state executive meeting to discuss and plan ways and means to effectively counter the Congress challenge at the ensuing elections. As part of his plans for a show of strength he is preparing to organize a massive public rally on September 2 by mobilising as many as 25 lakh people. As a prelude to this he has convened a meeting of all his party MPs, MLAs, MLCs and other important leaders on August 17th to prepare the party’s strategy for the coming elections.
It is pertinent to note here that KCR proved his one-upmanship over the Congress leadership by announcing that the TRS candidates for the ensuing elections would be made known after the September 2 mass rally of the party and that his party would go it alone at the hustings. He made known these two crucial decisions to take the wind out of the sails of the Congress which is known for dilly dallying in deciding about its party nominees till the last hour. Also the Congress leadership is still undecided about its poll alliance with other like-minded parties .
However what has become a talking point in political circles is about the decision of KCR to announce the party nominees much ahead of the elections as this might lead of lot of rumblings and discontentment among aspirants who are denied party tickets. One cannot ignore the fact here that TRS had only 63 seats out of 119 seats in the 2014 elections. It boosted its strength subsequently after encouraging defections from other parties. All these defectors would undoubtedly expect re-nomination for the ensuing elections. Also those TRS loyalists who had contested and lost against these defectors from other parties in the last elections might stake their right for party ticket.
All these factors therefore pose a tricky problem for KCR to use his astute political sagacity to resolve an impending crisis in the party. Moreover one cannot ignore the fact that the Congress might try to fish in troubled waters by trying to woo the disgruntled elements who are denied party tickets in TRS. Thus how KCR, who is confident of winning a minimum of 100 seats, would overcome these hurdles to have a smooth sailing in the coming elections, will be keenly watched by political pundits?. (NSS).
