Hyderabad: Telangana Congress leaders are in a dilemma about facing municipal elections opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register for Citizens as the main agenda or exposing failures of the ruling TRS.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has already tilted minorities in favour of the ruling party by opposing the CAA and NRC in Parliament. TRS MPs also voted against both these issues. With municipal elections less than 20 days away, Congress leaders are yet to make up their mind on what should be their agenda towards winning the forthcoming civic body polls. Incidentally, minorities, particularly Muslims, who were with Congress for a long time, have shifted to TRS since the 2014 elections.
Sharing his opinion on condition of anonymity, a senior Congress leader felt as these were municipal elections, the party has to take a firm stand to attract minority voters. Otherwise, they may move away permanently from the party. He pointed out that after the massive public meeting of MIM opposing CAA and NRC, pressure has built up on TPCC also to make these two issues the main agenda, so that minorities continue to trust Congress.
The Congress leader maintained that the core committee meeting that discussed the municipal polls did not intentionally ignore the key issues of CAA and NRC, which upset a minority leader of the party. He pointed out that though the AICC held a Satyagraha in Delhi on Monday to send a strong message to BJP on the twin issues, Telangana Congress leaders have not spoken much on CAA and NRC till date. Except holding a protest at Tank Bund, no other major programme had been organised, he pointed out.
Some Congress leaders are of the opinion that Congress MLAs, MPs and senior leaders should organise a joint press meet opposing the CAA and NRC.
