HYDERABAD: As the clock ticks closer to voting day, May 13, in Telangana, all major parties plan to bring their campaigning to an end on May 11 with a flourish by deploying their top leaders in the hope that they would swing neutral voters in their favour.
As mandated by the Election Commission of India, all parties will have to wind up their campaign by 6 pm on May 11, to enable the 48-hour “silent period”.
A surge of campaign activity is expected to be seen in the last two days of campaigning, with stalwarts from various parties crisscrossing the state to sway voters ahead of voting.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be leading the BJP charge with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda heading the flanks. Likewise, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge will be commanding the Congress forces with former party president Rahul Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi on the right and left flanks. Similarly, the BRS army will be led by party supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao and his trusted lieutenants KT Rama Rao and T Harish Rao.
Modi is scheduled to address public meetings in Narayanpet and Hyderabad on Friday, for which the saffron party is expected to pull out all stops and mobilise massive crowds. Overall, Modi would have addressed six campaign rallies in the state, including roadshows.
The Congress will press into service its general secretary Priyanka Gandhi who is slated to address two public meetings in Kamareddy and Tandur on May 11, while Kharge will hold a press conference at a private hotel in Hyderabad along with INDIA bloc leaders. Rahul Gandhi has already participated in four meetings in Telangana for the Lok Sabha elections.
KCR will wrap up the BRS campaign in Siddipet Assembly constituency, which is part of the Medak Lok Sabha seat and his native segment.
The former chief minister has been taking part in roadshows since the past 20 days and addressing massive gatherings in various constituencies. Harish Rao and Rama Rao will also conclude their campaign along with the party president on May 11.
Apart from the political heavyweights, the campaign trail has also been lit with the participation of celebrities from the film industry. Actress Khushbu joined the BJP state president G Kishan Reddy’s roadshow, while actor Daggubati Venkatesh lent his support to Congress candidate R Raghurama Reddy in Khammam.
Once campaigning ends, senior leaders of all the parties will turn their attention to poll management. Their focus on booth-level management and voter outreach will go a long way in determining the winners and losers in a majority of the seats in the coming elections.