Congress Trying To Regain Lost Ground in Greater Hyd Limits

 Hyderabad: The Congress is attempting to regain its lost political ground in Greater Hyderabad limits by fielding strong candidates in Secunderabad and Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituencies while also scouting for a strong candidate for the Hyderabad seat.

It has already announced incumbent Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender and Vikarabad ZP chairperson Patnam Sunitha Mahender Reddy as candidates for Secunderabad and Malkajgiri respectively. Interestingly, both BRS leaders joined the Congress only recently.

Congress is also on the lookout for a strong candidate for the by-election in Secunderabad Cantonment seat, which will be held along with the Lok Sabha elections on May 13. The party’s state leadership is going all out to lure strong leaders from the BRS and the BJP to boost its poll prospects, towards which it has intensified 'Operation Akarsh'.

The Congress drew a blank in Greater Hyderabad limits in the recent Assembly polls. Barring the Goshamahal seat that was retained by the BJP, the BRS-AIMIM combine wrested all other seats. Although the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha seat was won by Congress in 2019, the BRS made a clean sweep of the seven Assembly seats falling under its limits.

Against this backdrop, TPCC president and Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has laid special focus on strengthening the Congress in Greater Hyderabad limits and has drawn short-term and long-term plans. The short-term plan is in winning Lok Sabha seats here while the long-term plan is in bagging GHMC, slated to go for elections in December 2025.

Even as he is focussing on roping in proven leaders, former mayor Bonthu Rammohan, incumbent deputy mayor Mothe Sri Latha Reddy and Nagender have made the switch-over to the Congress from the BRS.

Revanth Reddy has deputed AICC Telangana affairs in-charge Deepa Dasmunsi to meet BRS leader and present mayor Gadwal Vijayalaxmi on Friday and hold negotiations to admit her into the Congress. It is learnt that Vijayalaxmi has expressed her willing to join Congress along with 10 to 15 BRS corporators.

This will be a big boost for Congress, which had won a mere two seats in the 150-member GHMC in the 2020 December elections.

 Intensifies 'operation akarsh' to woo BRS and BJP leaders.