Hyderabad: The Congress on Tuesday wrapped up their Munugode bypoll campaign by pulling off an impressive public meeting targeting exclusively women voters of the constituency. An estimated crowd of around 15,000 women voters attended the Mahila Garjana (Aadabiddala Atma Gourava Sabha) held at Munugode mandal headquarters.
Women leaders called upon female voters to ensure that the Congress wins to ensure proper gender representation in politics and to contain liquor menace, which has enslaved their men, both young and old, severely and badly impacting families.
Besides top women leaders from the State, MPs Ranjeet Ranjan (Chhattisgarh) and Jothimani Sennimalai (Tamil Nadu) addressed the gathering; their speeches were translated by the Congress candidate Palvai Sravanthi.
Ranjeet targeted both the BJP and the TRS candidates. While referring to K. Prabhakar Reddy of TRS, she said that those who do not respect women should be driven out of the constituency, forget voting for them. BJP candidate Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy has failed to prove his loyalty to a party which gave him name and fame, she said.
“The man who fails the loyalty test cannot contribute to the development of the constituency. He would not remain loyal to anybody,” she said.
Chhattisgarh MP Ranjan emphasised that only a woman could understand the pain of another woman and providing her a chance would pave the way for empowering other women.
“If woman is given a chance, she will fight against liquor menace, which has affected families. Those who seek votes by luring voters with liquor cannot provide security to women,” she added.
Jothimani Sennimalai, Karur MP and a giant slayer in 2019 general election, recalled how she had defeated AIADMK leader M. Thambidurai, the-then deputy speaker of the Lok Sabha, with the help of women.
“Despite majority opinion in the party that I did not have a strong financial background, I was given the ticket to contest from Karur. Rahul ji put faith in me. I faced severe challenges and struggled in the toughest contest, something similar to what Congress is now witnessing here. I stood against all odds. On the last day of the campaign, women supporting me were beaten up, but rivals could not break their resolve. I won with a majority of 4.2 lakh and all credit goes to women who had convinced their male family members to vote for me,” she said.
Urging women voters of Munugode, the MP said that they too can convince their male family members to vote for Sravanthi. Later she was lauded by MP A. Revanth Reddy for her fight.
“If Tamil Nadu can give such a great verdict, so can women of Munugode. Can Telangana women not decide by themselves without depending on their men? Your vote is your power and your victory. You all must unite to elect your daughter Sravanthi,” Telangana state Congress chief Revanth Reddy said.
Former union minister Renuka Chowdhury, MLC T Jeevan Reddy, former ministers J. Geetha Reddy, R. Damodar Reddy, MLAs D Sridhar Babu and Seethakka and former MLC Prem Sagar Rao were present.
