Poll campaign to be pucca local' vs national leaders

Hyderabad: The campaign for the upcoming Assembly elections will be ‘pucca local’ verses national leaders.

Right now, TRS president and caretaker Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is the only mass leader in the state. The other parties, particularly the Congress and the BJP, have no one who can match Mr Rao, and are importing national leaders in a big way for the campaign.

Mr Rao, known for his punch dialogues on the Opposition, will reach out to the people with his trademark use of the Telangana dialect and humour. The BJP has decided to bring a national party leader or a Union minister once a week. BJP chief Amit Shah will address about 10 public meetings and the party wants PM Narendra Modi to campaign.

For the Congress, party president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will participate in the campaign. Mrs Gandhi is expected to address two or three public meetings and Mr Rahul Gandhi about 10. Besides, the state Congress intends to invite AICC leaders who had a role in state bifurcation like Ghulam Nabi Azad and Jairam Ramesh to hype the party’s role in giving statehood. Campaigning by top leader will pick up once the election schedule is announced. TRS candidates are campaigning, the BJP has started canvassing though its nominees have not been named. 

Congress leaders are awaiting the announcement of candidates by the high command.