HYDERABAD: In view of the fast-approaching Assembly elections, the Congress has kickstarted its poll campaign with its top leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi leading from the front. The State unit of the party strategically launched the election campaign in north Telangana, where it is weak. This is likely to give a significant boost to the morale of the cadre and the party. In the last Assembly elections, the grand old party won two Assembly segments in the erstwhile Warangal district and just one seat in the erstwhile Karimnagar district.
As the party is weak in this belt, Rahul Gandhi focused on strengthening it and energising the cadre to face the elections. The party is aiming to win a majority of the segments in this Singareni coal belt where Rahul and Priyanka covered Mulugu, Bhupalaplly, Manthani, Ramagundam, Peddapalli, Karimnagar, Choppadandi, Jagtial, Korutla and Armoor. There is a growing feeling that if it wins 25 to 30 Assembly segments in Warangal, Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Adilabad districts, the Congress would very easily form the government in the State.
The party is also trying to rekindle the Telangana sentiment to attract Singareni and Adivasi voters. There is a discussion going around that in south Telangana districts of Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Mahbubnagar, Nalgonda and some parts of Khammam, the party hopes to win a majority of seats as its presence is very strong.
Rahul Gandhi covered Mahbubnbar, Rangareddy, Hyderabad and Medak during his Bharat Jodo Yatra while in north Telangana the party has organised a bus yatra and street corner meetings which, the leaders believe, would help the party win a good number of seats in the upcoming polls.