After Festival Highs and Cricket Lows, Poll Campaigns Set to Take Centre Stage

HYDERABAD: With the campaigning for the Telangana state Assembly elections entering its last leg, ahead of polling on November 30, major political parties are going full throttle in canvassing voters, especially groups and sections who will have a significant say in the elections, across the state.

The BRS, Congress and BJP, all, are now pressing into service every leadership resource at their disposal. The Congress and the BJP have already started carpet bombing various constituencies with their top leaders, who have been rushing from one meeting to another, while the ruling BRS is relying on its supremo and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and his two trusted lieutenants, K.T. Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao, to retain a grip on the Telangana electorate.

By the time the campaign ends on November 28, Chandrashekar Rao would have addressed around 100 meetings in as many constituencies, with Rama Rao and Harish Rao pushing for party candidates, simultaneously, in different constituencies.

Sources said that the BRS is unfazed by top Congress and BJP leaders arriving in the state, with the party's working president K.T. Rama Rao using every opportunity to declare that “the lion (KCR) comes alone.”

The ‘lion’ may go alone, but has a hectic schedule ahead, with 23 meetings scheduled between November 21 and 28, including one in Hyderabad on November 25. The final one would be in Gajwel, Rao’s home constituency.

The Congress meanwhile, is also stepping on the gas, intensifying its last leg of campaigning with multiple rallies by top leaders from November 22 to 28.

AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge will campaign in Alampur and Nalgonda on November 22, while AICC general secretary Priyanka Vadra Gandhi will campaign for three days, on November 24, 25 and 27, covering 10 Assembly constituencies.

On November 24, Priyanka Gandhi will tour Palakurthy, Husnabad and Dharmapuri constituencies, followed by campaigning in Palair, Khammam, Wyra and Madhira on November 25, and end her campaigning on November 27, covering Munugode, Devarakonda and Gadwal.

Adding muscle to the Congress’ efforts will be Rahul Gandhi, Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states of Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, but their schedules are yet to be finalised. Congress sources said that they would also campaign in phases from November 22 to 28.

Joining these pitched battles, including roadshows where two parties are scheduled to cut it fine in some locations and avoid each other by a proverbial whisker, is the BJP, which already had Prime Minister Narendra Modi address a series of meetings. He is set to return for two days, on November 26 and 27, to give the BJP a final push in a bid to get across the finish line.

The BJP list has included home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh, party president J.P. Nadda, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Assam Chief Minister Himantha Biswa Sarma and several other senior party leaders, on its campaign roster for the final leg.