Rahul, Priyanka to Kick Off Bus Yatra in Mulugu, Discuss Local Issues

HYDERABAD: Senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will flag off the TPCC’s bus yatra at the Ramappa temple in Mulugu, with the campaign strategy centred around raking up local issues that resonate with voters, party sources said on Monday.

The local issues pertain to unemployment, corruption, dynastic politics of the BRS and highlighting the Congress’ six guarantees and multiple declarations. The strategy is aimed at connecting with the people of Telangana on a personal level and winning their support in Assembly polls, sources said.

Titled ‘Congress Vijayabheri bus yatra’, the party hopes to recreate the “Karnataka magic” in Telangana in a bid to form the government in the state 10 years after it ruled over the erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh.

“A bus yatra played a key role in bringing Congress to power in Karnataka and the same will be repeated in Telangana,” a party source said.

“Normally, the national level leaders raise national issues during campaigning. But the bus yatra in Telangana will focus on local issues. We have identified several local issues in Telangana, such as TSPSC question paper leaks, exam cancellations, job-seeker suicides, unemployment, Dharani land issues, farmer suicides, BRS government taking over assigned lands given to Dalits by previous Congress governments and forcible land acquisition by BRS government in the name of land-pooling for real estate businesses,” the source said.

 “We have also identified constituency-specific issues which Rahul Gandhi will raise while addressing road shows and street corner meetings. District-specific issues will be raised while addressing three public meetings, in Mulugu, Peddapalli and Armur, on October 18, 19 and 20,” the source said.

As part of the bus yatra, Rahul Gandhi will hold padayatras along with unemployed youths in Bhupalapally on October 18 and will meet with Singareni, NTPC and RFCL employees’ unions in Ramagundam on October 19. He will also interact with contract employees who were not regularised by the BRS government, and farmers and rice mills’ representatives, to hear their grievances.

On October 20, Rahul Gandhi will visit the Nizam Sugar Factory, which was shut under the BRS regime, to “highlight how BRS, which promised to open Nizam Sugar Factory within 100 days of coming to power, failed to do so even after nine years,” the source said.

Besides, Rahul Gandhi will also interact with women beedi workers, as well as families of Gulf migrants, to highlight how the BRS government failed to bring in an NRI policy. He will also interact with sugarcane farmers on October 20.