HYDERABAD: The Congress party hopes to regain its strength in Greater Hyderabad as Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra is all set to enter the city on Tuesday. The party had seen glorious days between 2004 and 2014. But after the bifurcation of the State, the party began shrinking in size in Greater Hyderabad.
In 2014, the party had lost almost all Assembly seats in the Greater Hyderabad area with the result that the cadres shifted to the ruling TRS.
In 2018 also, the party suffered a near rout in the Assembly elections in Greater Hyderabad. The only saving grace was D Sudhir Reddy who won from LB Nagar but he joined the TRS later. The party which has been in a run-down state even though it was the Congress which granted Telangana, is now hoping that Bharat Jodo Yatra might infuse new life into the party.
The green shoots began appearing with A Revanth Reddy winning the election to Lok Sabha from Malkajgiri. But in 2020, the party’s fortunes began sagging as it could not win three seats including one by-election. In Greater Hyderabad, the party leadership failed to protect the cadre. It could not build confidence in them that better days are ahead for the party.
In a majority of Assembly Constituencies, there are no in-charges. There are no leaders who can inspire the cadres in Secunderabad, Cantonment, Kukatpally, Serilingampally, Rajendranagar, Charminar, Goshamahal, Amberpet, Malakpet, Uppal, Quthbullapur, Malkajgiri, Bahadurpura, Chandrayangutta and Karwan constituencies.
In several Assembly Constituencies like Jubilee Hills, Khairatabad, Musheerabad, and Sanathnagar, the leaders had become very inactive. Recently, TRS corporator Vijaya Reddy, who is the daughter of former CLP leader late PJR joined the Congress expecting the Khairatabad Assembly seat, but senior party leader Dr Rohin Reddy is also eyeing the seat.
Indian Youth Congress former president Anil Kumar Yadav tours now and then in Musheerabad while former MLA Vishnuvardhan Reddy is also not focusing on Jubilee Hills, which was once his seat. Former minister Marri Shashidhar Reddy is also not very active in his constituency.
As the party is now on a ventilator in Hyderabad, the party leadership believes that Rahul’s presence in the city would act as a tonic to the party workers.TPCC president Revanth Reddy wants to make Rahul’s public meeting a resounding success so that the party workers get activated and begin working towards retrieving the lost ground.
The dissidence in the party is another reason why the party lies in tatters in Hyderabad. Two months ago, Jubilee Hills former MLA Vishnuvardhan Reddy lodged a complaint with Banjara Hills ACP against Revanth Reddy for issuing a false statement on a rape that took place near Peddamma Temple. It only showed the growing chasm between the two leaders. Former Sanath Nagar MLA Shashidhar Reddy is also not on good terms with Revanth Reddy.
Bharat Jodo Yatra will put their commitment to the party to the test as they begin mobilising crowds for Rahul Gandhi’s public meeting. It is time for them to pull up their socks and work.