HYDERABAD: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president A Revanth Reddy, along with all other Congress leaders, will kick-start the Haath se Haath Jodo Yatra from February 6. While other senior leaders will cover 20 to 30 constituencies, Revanth will cover over 50 constituencies in 60 days. However, Revanth’s walkathon will sport a subtle twist and be called ‘Yatra’, based on the biographical film of the same name starring Mammooty as the late chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. Sources say Revanth’s padayatra aims to evoke similar sentiments as YSR’s did in 2003. Even as the Congress is plagued by internal bickering, the TPCC chief believes that this yatra will help establish a deep connect with the voters of Telangana.
AICC Telangana in-charge Manikrao Thakre on Saturday spoke to the media after the extended TPCC executive meeting and said that as budget sessions in Assembly and Parliament are likely to start in the first week of February, the party will start the Haath Se Haath Jodo Yatra from February 6 to ensure that all the MLAs and MPs take part in the inaugural programme. The executive committee also passed a resolution inviting Sonia Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi, in the absence of the former, to grace the inaugural of Haath Se Haath Jodo.
“All the leaders from TPCC will attend the inaugural of Haath Se Haath Jodo Yatra. I have been invited by Podem Veeraiah to start the yatra from Bhadrachalam constituency. Leaders from Mahbubnagar and Adilabad too have made similar requests. We will take a decision after discussing it in the Political Affairs Committee meeting,” said Revanth . He added that AICC will decide who will cover which parts of the State.
During Haath Se Haath Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi’s letter, and a chargesheet on BJP and BRS governments’ “failures” will be distributed and implementation will be taken up under the leadership of AICC Programme Implementation Committee chairman Maheshwar Reddy and Sampath Kumar, Revanth said. Stating that the BJP government has tried to stop the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra, Revanth said it was decided that all important leaders will attend the concluding meeting of the walkathon in Kashmir.
Meanwhile, stressing upon the need for unity to win the ensuing general elections, AICC Telangana in-charge Manikrao Thakre on Saturday made it clear that the responsibility to unite party leaders lay with TPCC president A Revanth Reddy. “I don’t’ take sides to favour some. Please set aside such a mindset. My job is to ensure the implementation of the party high command’s directions. If you have any issues please talk to me. I will be available on the phone all the time. Leaders should not go to the media with statements which will adversely affect the party,” Thakre said.