T'gana: Congress ads with KCR lookalike add punch to campaign

Hyderabad: The Congress in Telangana has unleashed a high-voltage poll blitzkrieg including advertisements featuring lookalikes of Chief Minister and BRS leader K. Chandrasekhar Rao, mocking him over unkept promises.

With the tagline 'Marpu Kavali Congress Ravali' (change should happen, Congress should come to power), the party has launched the ad campaign, targeting Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

The Congress party on Wednesday released a third advertisement as part of the campaign. The party came out with eye-catching advertisements on the lines of a similar campaign run in neighbouring Karnataka during the recent elections.

As the campaign was successful in Karnataka, the party strategists decided to adopt a similar strategy in Telangana. The series of advertisements being run on all Telugu channels and digital platforms mock CM KCR and the ruling party over unkept promises during the last 10 years. In one of the ads, a lookalike of KCR is seen addressing a public meeting.

While he reminds the audience of the welfare schemes being implemented by his government and makes promises, a voice is heard in the background mocking him, evoking laughter from the audience.

In another video, a lookalike of the BRS chief is seen appealing to people for votes.

A cross section of people question him on unfulfilled promises like jobs, unemployment allowance, double bed-room houses and raising issues like Dharani portal, Kaleshwaram scam.

TPCC vice-president Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy said they designed the ad campaign to expose the lies and false promises of KCR and his government.

Intending to showcase fake promises and lies of KCR in a satirical manner, this campaign also highlights the fact that people will no longer believe their lies, he said.

A third ad video released as part of the campaign on Wednesday features the agrarian issues in the state.

A lookalike of KCR is seen giving money to a farmer but the latter questions him over suicide of 8,000 farmers and reminds him of his unkept promises for farm loan waiver, free fertilisers and paddy procurement.

"You didn't care for us but looted crores of rupees from us," the farmer tells him.

A woman farmer is also seen telling KCR lookalike that in the name of Dharani portal, he took away their lands, making them work as labourers in their own fields.

Another woman questions why they should vote again for BRS. The tyre of the 'pink' car (color and poll symbol of BRS) gets deflated.

A voice in the background says 10 years of arrogance should come to an end and 10 years of corruption should be chased away while BRS leaders are seen pushing the car.

AICC incharge for Telangana, Manikrao Thakare posted the ad on 'X' and wrote: "The farmers of Telangana have been exploited by the BRS government, leading to the deaths of more than 8,000 farmers. The BRS government failed to waive off farmers' loans!!! They promised free fertilizers but instead increased the price of fertilizers. People are fed up with 10 years of corruption, arrogance, and incompetence of the BRS. They need to be freed from the clutches of tyranny."

BRS, however, has dismissed the campaign by the Congress saying this would have no impact on the voters.

BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao said a similar campaign was run by the Congress in 2018 but people brought BRS to power for a second consecutive term. Stating that people know the truth, he exuded confidence that they will once again vote for a party which worked for their welfare and the state's development for the last 10 years.