HYDERABAD: The BJP and the BRS have marched way ahead of the Congress as far as campaigning for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections is concerned.
The Congress is yet to finalise its candidates for three Lok Sabha seats while the BJP and BRS have completed the process.
The BJP and the BRS are now in an overdrive in campaigning, while the Congress seems to be a clear laggard. Even in the constituencies where the Congress has announced candidates, the campaign is yet to pick up.
The BJP, for the first time, has announced its full list of candidates even before the BRS did. The saffron party candidates have completed their first phase of campaign and are embarking on the second phase. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has addressed three public meetings in the state, which has given the necessary impetus to the party to move forward.
The BJP candidates are participating at least in 10 to 12 meetings in various Assembly segments in their respective Lok Sabha constituencies.
The BRS has also hit the ground with party supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao addressing two meetings and undertaking a visit to the fields where farmers are going through an ordeal following the withering of their crops.
Former ministers T Harish Rao and KT Rama Rao are taking part in leading the campaign in Lok Sabha constituencies. Both leaders are touring in the constituencies and addressing public meetings besides interacting with important leaders in each mandal and constituency. The sitting MLAs along with candidates are touring in their respective constituencies, drumming up support for the Lok Sabha candidates.
In contrast, the ruling party’s campaign is yet to pick up speed. The candidates are merely meeting MLAs and Assembly constituency-incharges in preparation for an aggressive campaign.
Nalgonda is the only constituency where campaigning is going on aggressively. Recently Minister and Nalgonda Parliament constituency in-charge N Uttam Kumar Reddy conducted a preparatory meeting. A huge posse of cadres turned up for the meeting which AICC in-charge Deepa Dasmunshi attended.
Party sources stated that after the Tukkuguda public meeting to be addressed by Rahul Gandhi, the party would go in for an aggressive campaign in all Lok Sabha constituencies. Chief Minister and TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy and other ministers will then be able to focus fully on the Lok Sabha elections. It remains to be seen how the leaders from other parties who had “parachuted ‘’ into the Congress fare since it is not clear if the native party workers would extend their wholehearted support to them.