SANGAREDDY: Riding on its recent election victory, the Congress has begun making moves to improve its presence in Siddipet, a stronghold of the BRS for many years now.
The Congress has struggled to regain its dominance in the district, but the party has met little success since 1985 — so much so that its candidates have struggled to even retain their deposits in many elections. Now in power in the state, the grand old party aims to rejuvenate its cadre and attract BRS leaders to its fold and thus bolster its chances in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Former MLA Mynampally Hanumanth Rao, who defected from the BRS before the recent Assembly elections, is spearheading the Congress endeavour. Hanumanth Rao had joined the Congress after the BRS leadership denied the Medak Assembly ticket to his son Rohit.
This has worked wonders for the Congress in the district where earlier, the party had found it daunting to even organise small events. On Tuesday, Hanumanth Rao reached the district in a huge convoy and the public meeting that followed stretched till late night. The public meeting was well attended by party activists. Addressing the gathering, Hanumanth Rao announced that 26 BRS MLAs were willing to join the Congress. He went on to predict that former minister T Harish Rao would align with the BJP in due course.
Hanumanth Rao also laid the foundation stone for the construction of the Congress party office in Siddipet. This is a huge step for the party, which hasn’t held such a massive rally in Siddipet in the past decade during the BRS rule
Congress leaders say that Hanumanth Rao’s claims are based on the undercurrent of unease that has gripped the BRS now. Reports suggest that some councillors of the Siddipet municipality may defect from the BRS to join the Congress, citing dissatisfaction with the municipal chairperson.
BRS leader Harish Rao, anticipating such shifts, reportedly sent dissatisfied councillors on a tour to mollify them.
Meanwhile, Hanumanth Rao, tapping his BRS contacts, has begun efforts to bring pink party leaders, local body representatives and municipal councillors from Siddipet into the Congress fold. A Congress leader said many BRS leaders might consider joining the grand old party if they perceive the party as a steadfast advocate for workers and a formidable contender against Harish Rao in Siddipet.