HYDERABAD: The Congress will fight the GHMC elections projecting Hyderabad’s growth story under the Congress, said AICC in-charge for Telangana Manickam Tagore. Undeterred by the setbacks in Huzurnagar and Dubbaka bypolls, Tagore, in an exclusive interview with The New Indian Express, said that the loss has not affected the party’s prospects of winning the next State Assembly election.
BJP is trying to create the perception that they are the alternative to TRS after the Dubbaka win. Has Congress lost its ground?
We have committed cadres in the State. Our vision is for World Cup 2023 (general elections). These are all practice matches, which will be played in the middle. BJP winning Dubbaka is like Bangladesh winning a match in the World Cup. In Huzurnagar, they got a mere 2,500 votes. Since it is a rare thing for them to win a byelection, they are celebrating too much.
Congress has lost two byelections now. In Huzurnagar, it failed to retain its own seat.
Byelection results can’t be a parameter for the party's position. There are many factors. The Central and State governments pump in a lot of money to win elections.
Many Congress leaders are either defecting to TRS or the BJP. Is the party worried?
I want to be very clear about this. We produce and groom leadership. We have enough leaders on the ground.
How many seats are you confident of winning in the GHMC elections?
We will be fielding strong candidates in all 150 seats. We have an inclusive vision for Hyderabad. The BJP’s vision is to exclude the people, and TRS is trying to win with the money they looted from the flood relief. I am confident that Hyderabadis will not allow the TRS’s corrupt administration to continue and not give an opportunity for a communal party.