HYDERABAD: TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud on Friday reiterated the Congress’ unwavering commitment to the welfare and upliftment of the poor, despite the financial constraints inherited from the previous government.
Speaking at the launch of the Janahita Padayatra from Pargi Assembly constituency, Mahesh Goud said the Congress government was actively implementing all welfare schemes and fulfilling its poll promises even though the state had plunged into “severe financial debt” under the previous BRS regime.
The padayatra is being undertaken along with All India Congress Committee (AICC) Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan, ministers
D Sridhar Babu and Konda Surekha, Chief Minister’s Advisor Vem Narender Reddy, former MLAs of the erstwhile Rangareddy district, former MPs and corporation chairpersons.
The TPCC chief said that several people were asking them why this padayatra is being taken out when the party is in power. He pointed out that it was being done at the direction of the high command to get feedback from the people about the ongoing welfare programmes and to understand what additional support people expect from the government.
He recalled how Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, during the Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY), directly interacted with people to assess their aspirations. “Similarly, through this Janahita Padayatra, we are meeting people to evaluate the effectiveness of our government’s schemes and understand what more needs to be done,” he said.
Criticising the previous BRS administration, Mahesh Goud alleged that former CM K Chandrashekar Rao had pushed the state into a debt trap, leaving the current Congress government with the burden of repaying loans and managing a strained treasury.
“Despite the financial challenges, our chief minister and Cabinet are focused on restoring development and addressing the issues created by the previous regime,” he added.
The TPCC chief also lashed out at the BJP for opposing the proposed 42% reservations for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Telangana. “We have completed the BC survey and sent two Bills to the Union government, but the BJP is refusing to introduce them in Parliament,” he said.
Mahesh Goud also pointed out that Telangana, under Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, became the first state to introduce sub-categorisation of Scheduled Castes (SCs).
He also questioned the silence of BRS MLC K Kavitha on the issue of BC reservations when her father KCR was in power. “Why didn’t she raise her voice for BC rights then?” he asked.
Expressing confidence in the Congress’ growing public support, he said the party is well-positioned to sweep the upcoming local body elections. “The people of Telangana recognise the sincerity and commitment of the Congress,” he said.
Meanwhile, Natarajan said that the padayatra is being conducted as per the directions of Rahul Gandhi to understand people’s needs.
Stating that the Congress is repaying the faith shown by the people in voting it to power by implementing all welfare schemes, she said: “Only Congress delivers justice following in the footsteps of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule and Dr BR Ambedkar.”
“The Congress conducted the BC survey within 18 months of forming the government with the aim of providing reservations to OBCs in proportion to their population,” she said.
“We will be staging a protest in Delhi to bring pressure on the NDA-led Union government to enhance BC reservations to 42 per cent,” she added.
IT & Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu said that this yatra is not a political campaign but a meaningful initiative to connect with the people, understand their challenges firsthand, and work towards viable solutions. “The padayatra serves as a vital bridge between the government and the people,” he added.