Sonia’s first Telangana visit to brighten Congress chances

​Hyderabad: The much-awaited public appearance of Sonia Gandhi in Telangana is going to take the Congress campaign to the peak and is expected to brighten its prospects in the ensuing elections to Telangana assembly. The United Progressive Alliance chairperson, who made the dream of Telangana state a reality, would be among the people of Telangana on Friday. She would be accompanied by her son and AICC president Rahul Gandhi. The Congress has made elaborate arrangements at Medchal for the public meeting on a 100-acre area and it is expecting a mobilisation of four to five lakhs. 

Leaders of the party said that the roads around the public meeting would be jampacked. The importance the Congress attached to meeting could be gauged by supervision of arrangements of the public meeting being entrusted to Karnataka minister DK Siva Kumar and other leaders of AICC.  The grand-old party never took a public meeting as a prestigious issue in the past. Apart from the AICC leaders, the PCC leaders have also geared up to impress Sonia Gandhi by ensuring a good turn-out. On behalf of the PCC, working president A Revanth Reddy has taken up arrangements and has been camping there for the last two days. He has been making better arrangements for the public meeting. 

The public meeting to be addressed by Sonia and Rahul would also see the participation of Peoples Front leaders M Kodandara, L Ramana and Chada Venkat Reddy.  According to the schedule, Sonia would reach Begumpet Airport by a special flight at 5 pm and she would be joined by Rahul, who would arrive from Bhopal 15 minutes later. They would leave for Medchal at 5.30 pm and en route would greet people waiting along the way.
 
They would address the public meeting between 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm and would leave for Delhi at 8 pm. The PCC is planning to facilitate Sonia as gesture of thanks giving to her. Speaking on the impact they have been expecting, PCC treasurer Gudur Narayana Reddy told The Hans India that message of Sonia would boost the morale of the Congress which is running for the Assembly polls like anything. 

Narayana Reddy said that if Sonia says that she has taken the fight of Telangana people for separate statehood for 60 years has moved her to grant the wish would do the magic. He said that Sonia Gandhi has assured the victory to the 60 years Telangana movement in six years, as she approved the decision for creation of state in 2009 after giving word in 2004. 

He said that Sonia Gandhi would urge the people of Telangana to give her party a chance to serve them. She may also give call to the people to support PCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy who fought for the defence of the nation at the boarders. Narayana Reddy said that the UPA chairperson may tell the people that Uttam has no children and considers the state as his family and would serve them with utmost caution. 

She may also criticise Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for going back on his words to merge TRS with Congress if Telangana is given statehood and to make a Dalit as first chief minister of the state. She might also explain the misrule, false promises and arrogant behaviour of Chandrashekar Rao to the masses in her speech. She would tell what Congress would do after coming to power.