HYDERABAD: In a bid to consolidate its grassroots presence ahead of local body elections, the ruling Congress in the state will be undertaking an extensive padayatra campaign.
Modelled on the spirit of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, the padayatra campaign will traverse all the 10 erstwhile districts of the state, combining public outreach with organisational consolidation.
The padayatra will commence daily at 10 am and terminate at 3 pm, covering a stretch of about 10 to 14 km. Leading this campaign will be TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud along with AICC Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan. The two leaders will be walking through various Assembly constituencies, concluding each leg of the journey with public meetings and interaction sessions involving local Congress leaders.
Apart from the padayatra, the programme will also have a special focus on community activities such as ‘Swachhadhanam Pachadhanam,’ promoting cleanliness and environmental awareness. These events are expected to reinforce the party’s commitment to grassroots activism and public service.
The campaign will begin on July 31 and continue till August 6, before pausing temporarily for the Independence Day celebrations. During the course of the yatra, meetings will be held with district-level leaders including sitting and former legislators, Members of Parliament, mandal-level and block-level leaders. These sessions will concentrate on planning strategies for the local body elections and strengthening the party structure at the ground level.
Speaking to TNIE, TPCC chief B Mahesh Kumar Goud stated that the goal of the programme is to promote awareness on the rollout of welfare schemes. He emphasised that the Congress remains the only party that has unequivocally promised 42% reservation for the Backward Classes.
According to the itinerary, the padayatra will begin in the Pargi Assembly constituency in Rangareddy district on July 31 at 5 pm, followed by a night halt.
The next day, on August 1, a ‘Shramadaanam’ event and a workers’ meeting will be held at 11 am and 3 pm, respectively. The final set of community and workers’ programmes will be held there on August 6, bringing the first phase to a close.
To ensure smooth coordination and execution of the programmes, the party has appointed a team of coordinators including MLA MS Raj Thakur, MLC Shankar Naik, Dr Kethoori Venkatesh, Juluru Dhanalaxmi and Dr Puli Anil Kumar.