Hyderabad: Recalling the days before the state was formed in 2014, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi who was in Telangana for the first time since its creation said that she felt like a mother who has returned to her child after years. Gandhi’s emotional pitch on Friday evening at the Congress’s public meeting at Medchal near Hyderabad struck a chord with the huge crowd which had gathered.
“I remember the problems we undertook to create Telangana. It was not an easy task. Even though we had to pay a big price, we took the decision. Knowing that the people of Andhra Pradesh would be unhappy, that is why we announced special category status for them,” said Gandhi while addressing the public meeting which was held as part of the Congress’s election campaign for the upcoming 7 December assembly elections.
The event was of significance as the former Congress president has not attended any other public meeting in any of the other four states that are going to polls (or where elections have commenced). It was also a show of strength, as leaders from the Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS), Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which are in an alliance with the Congress, participated in it.
Censuring the K. Chandrashekhar Rao-led Telangana Rashtra Samithi, Sonia Gandhi questioned the work that was undertaken in the last four-and-a-half years by the TRS in Telangana.
“I am very unhappy seeing the lives of people in the state today. After Telangana was born, how many of the dreams you were promised have been fulfilled? It is unfortunate that the new state is in the hands of a man who looked only after himself,” Gandhi said, and exhorted the public to vote for the Congress in the coming assembly elections.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who also participated in the meeting, targeted Rao, and said that the last four-and-a-half-years only benefitted his family and the TRS. He asked the people to vote for the Congress-led grand alliance, which includes the TDP, TJS and Communist party of India.
“When you were fighting for Telangana, Sonia Gandhi ji was standing with you. The state was created with the sweat and blood of people. The TRS’s rule is going to end, because this alliance has the voice of students, farmers and women, and carries their dreams which the chief minister (Rao) did not fulfill,” stated Rahul Gandhi.
The Congress-led alliance will face the TRS, which is being supported by the All India Majilis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, while the Bharatiya Janata Party is contesting the polls alone this time. The results of the elections will be out on 11 December with that of four other states.