Cong working overtime to win over BRS vote bank in key seats

Hyderabad : Congress is pinning its hopes on cross voting in the BRS and BJP stronghold Lok Sabha seats in the ensuing general elections. After the Congress party’s attempt to poach BRS MLAs did not evoke much positive response, the ruling party is making all out efforts to shift the BRS vote bank in support of the Congress candidates in the identified segments, mainly in Chevella, Malkajgiri, Medak, Karimnagar and Mahbubnagar.

Party sources said that the Congress leadership, mainly TPCC president and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was busy holding meetings with party in-charges of all Lok Sabha segments and analysing the winning prospects of each candidate and the challenges facing the Congress in the elections to be held on May 13 in the state.

Leaders said that many BRS MLAs had earlier made up their minds to join the Congress party in the first week of May. The opposition party legislators postponed their plan to join the Congress due to various political developments which have been taking place at a fast pace during the intensified poll campaign. “Rajendra Nagar BRS MLA Prakash Goud was supposed to join Congress. The alert BRS leadership stopped him from joining the Congress. The ruling party was planning to galvanise the Congress cadre with the support of BRS MLA. Now, the challenge before the Congress is shift the BRS vote bank to the party in the particular assembly segment. Similar instances are happened in other segments also,” said a leader.

Party leaders say that Revanth Reddy has prepared a strategy for every Lok Sabha segment based on the local political equations, ensuring cross voting in support of the Congress candidates. The Congress is facing tough fight from BJP in Mahbubnagar, Malkajgiri and Karimnagar segments. Congress is trying hard to lure the BRS leadership in these segments and shift their vote bank to Congress. Only village-level poll management will help to overcome these challenges,” said another leader.

The BRS is strong in Medak and Chevella segments, where the party leadership is already busy in consolidating the vote bank. Sensing trouble, Congress is leaving no stone unturned to woo the BRS leadership and emerge victorious.