Nearly a month after, K Chandrashekar Rao, Chief Minister of Telangana dissolved the Legislative Assembly and announced a list of 105 candidates of his party, the Telangana Rastra Samithi (TRS), the opposition Congress (I), officially launched its campaign from the historic Alampur town in Mahboobnagar district today.
A united front
The Congress (I) State Chief, Uttam Kumar Reddy and senior leaders have maintained they are prepared for the polls. But the exercise to forge a Mahakutami or united opposition alliance consisting of Congress (I), Telugu Desam, CPI, M Kodandaram’s Party has taken considerable time.
On September 6, KCR made the decision to go in for an early polls,nearly nine months ahead of schedule. He even made the dramatic announcement of candidates for 105 of the 119 seats., which caught the opposition by surprise.
In Alampur, home to the centuries old Jogulamba temple, Congress (I) leaders Uttam Kumar, campaign committee Chairman, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, K Jana Reddy, A Revanth Reddy, V Hanumantha Rao, AICC Secretary RC Khuntia, Shabbir Ali, DK Aruna and star campaigner and cinema star, Vijayashanthi set the tone for the campaign with a cry to get rid of, what they called, the ‘corrupt family rule of KCR from Telangana State’.
The leaders are scheduled to address public meetings in Gadwal and Aiza.
Meanwhile, the TRS campaign led by KCR has sharpened its attack on the opposition calling the Mahakutami as an unholy alliance, especially the coming together of the TDP and the Congress (I). ‘Where is the TDP in Telangana?’ thundered KCR in a public meeting in Nizamabad as he launched a bitter attack on N Chandrababu Naidu, the TDP leader. “Both the Congress (I) and TDP were against the formation of Telangana. Now they are in alliance, how can they help the cause of the people of the State, he asked”.
Responding to these comments, senior Cong(I) leader K Jana Reddy reminded KCR that the TRS and formed a grand alliance with the TDP and Naidu in 2009 against the Congress (I) then led by YS Rajasekhara Reddy.
The Congress (I) is engaged in intense discussions with the TDP, CPI, Kodandaram’s Party to finalise a common minimum programme, christen the Mahakutami and seat sharing. The Party Chief Uttam Kumar has been repeatedly highlighting that the election should be a fight between the ‘failed-and-corrupt’ rule of TRS and KCR Vs the people of Telangana.
Opposition’s compaints
The combined opposition groups have also complained to the Governor and the Election Commission about largescale drop out of names from voters’ list, preparedness to conduct early elections and questioned the rationale of KCR pushing for early elections. A petition against early elections filed in the Supreme Court by senior Cong(I) leader, Marri Sashidhar Reddy, listing similar grounds has been admitted.