Sonia to kick off poll campaign on September 17, Rahul, Kharge to attend

HYDERABAD: Congress former president Sonia Gandhi will sound the poll bugle in Hyderabad by addressing a public meeting on September 17, with Rahul Gandhi and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge expected to be in attendance, TPCC leaders said on Monday.

In a conversation with mediapersons, TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy said, “The first meeting of the newly constituted CWC will happen on September 16th. On September 17th there will be an extended working committee meeting. All CWC (Congress Working Committee) members, PCC presidents and CLP leaders from all states will attend the CWC meeting. The meeting will see the announcement of five guarantees, on the lines of Karnataka.”

The announcements will depend on the specific needs here, he said.  

The Congress president will also flag off the cavalcade of CWC members, PCC presidents and CLP leaders to visit each of the 119 Assembly constituencies in Telangana “to expose the BRS”. eddy

On September 6, Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal will visit the venue of the meeting. “The CWC meet will take place in the Hotel Taj Krishna and we have sought permission to hold the public meeting on September 17 in the Parade Ground,” Revanth said.

Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Revanth Reddy said, “The TPCC thanks Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and K.C. Venugopal for providing the opportunity to convene the first CWC meeting in Hyderabad. We are grateful for the honour bestowed upon us and will make this meeting a grand success.”

“The BJP also did not give the importance given by us to Telangana. Hyderabad was chosen despite the party being in power in many states. The declarations being made by us have not been done by anybody else and are being promised after thorough studies. Various stakeholders were consulted before announcing them. The BRS is wrong in asking us to implement the promises we are making here in states where we are in power. Our agenda is based on the specific needs of the people of the state,” Revanth Reddy said.

Expressing happiness about Hyderabad being chosen as the venue, Revanth Reddy said, “The decision to hold the meeting in Hyderabad will give an adrenaline rush to the Congress cadre. All of us will attend as party cadre and work for holding it successfully. We are honoured to be hosting the meet that is going to play a pivotal role in forming strategy and tactics in facing the five assembly polls. Telangana is going to be the launch pad for boosting the I.N.D.I.A. alliance.”

September 17 holds a special place for Telangana as we achieved freedom from the Nizam on that day. “Kharge belongs to the Hyderabad state and had lost his mother and other family members in the atrocities committed by the razakars. It’s an honour that someone who was affected at that time is currently heading the Congress,” the TPCC chief said.