Congress storms back to power in State

Hyderabad: The Congress party which was assumed to have reduced to third place following it’s humiliating loss in Munugode bypoll made a comeback and re-established itself as the force to reckon with in Telangana. By the end of the year, the party, which is credited with the bifurcation of the erstwhile AP, carving out a new State in Southern India, was able to establish its first government in Telangana under the leadership of A Revanth Reddy.

Gandhi family’s scion undertaking the Bharat Jodo yatra and his walkathon covering parts of the State provided the much needed morale boost to the party. The Hyderabad unit of the party, the PCC also got the former Maharashtra PCC chief Manickrao Thakre as its new AICC incharge replacing Manickam Tagore, the Tamil Nadu MP. Thakre who served as Minister in Maharashtra and decades of experience kept a low-profile, nevertheless is credited with uniting the warring groups within the Telangana Congress with his political proficiency and maintaining good communication as AICC’s envoy in Telangana.

The PCC chief who continued to maintain domination decided to take out ‘Haath se Haath jodo’ yatra from Medaram of Thadvai mandal in Mulugu district to assert supremacy, which was countered by colleagues in an unsuccessful attempt. The March 9 public meeting held in Karimnagar as part of yatra elevated him to be the indisputable leader as presence of some of the top national leaders prompted almost all the so-called ‘loyalists’ to accept his leadership. The public meeting was an exhibition of unity within the State leadership amidst the presence of national leaders Jairam Ramesh, former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel in whose State the latest party’s plenary was held.

Despite his discontinuation of yatra, Revanth’s aggressive position on issues like the TSPSC paper leak issue and Dharani earned him the support of unemployed and farmers. In the Karnataka Assembly elections, being its neighbouring State, the leaders from Telangana closely witnessed the success story unfold and were eager to replicate the same back home. The strategist Sunil Kanugolu’s team which drew strategies from the background tightened their belts for Telangana after Karnataka’s success.

Present Deputy CM and former CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka’s yatra in the summer heat from Adilabad to Khammam between March 16 till July 3 earned him his place as the top Dalit leader of the State. The concluding programme Telangana Janagarjana Sabha in Khammam which was attended by Rahul Gandhi remains an historic event paving way for the successful party campaigns to come.

Reading the anti-incumbency and Karnataka success, those who had left the party like Jupally Krishna Rao, Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy and scores of the others began slowly making a return back to party fold besides scores of the other top leaders who had joined BRS after formation of Telangana from TDP. However, State leadership after careful examination finalised the candidates for the Assembly elections, after the poll bugle was sounded in the State.

On September 17, following the announcement of 6-guarantees by AICC senior leader Sonia Gandhi during ‘ Vijayabheri’ in Hyderabad the party was already in election mode. The high-voltage campaign which ensued completely under the supervision of the AICC witnessed visits of top national leaders in the State giving the much needed support to the local leadership.

By November 28 when the campaign ended Revanth Reddy covered 63 Assembly constituencies and addressed 87 public meetings. While AICC president, Mallikarjun Kharge took part in 10 public meetings, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi respectively covered 23 and 26 public meetings respectively, sometimes covering three to four constituencies per day.

Karnataka Deputy Minister and KPCC president, D K Shivakumar took part in 10 public meetings. While the Chief Ministers of Karnataka Siddaramaiah and Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Bhagel took part in 3 and 4 public meetings respectively.

With just a month for the Assembly election the Congress got the much needed ammunition for its campaign, the sinking pillars of Medigadda barrage, which is part of the BRS government’s flagship Kaleshwaram project. On November 2, Rahul Gandhi made a visit and alleged that the project continues to serve as an ‘ATM for KCR’s family’. Throughout the campaign social media also played its role. The Sunil Kanulogu’s team regularly circulated and advertised the campaign material which connected with the voters.