New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said the people for Telangana wanted change and were looking to the Congress to provide it. The Congress was ready for the challenge, he said after a strategy meeting in the Capital.
Apart from Kharge, top leaders like former party president Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary K.C. Venugopal joined the strategy meeting for the forthcoming state elections with the Telangana unit leaders at the AICC office in Delhi on Tuesday, including Telangana Congress president A. Revanth Reddy.
After the meet, Kharge tweeted, "The people of Telangana are yearning for change. They are looking towards the Congress party." Kharge asserted that the Congress is ready to take on any challenge. "Together, we will usher in a brighter future for Telangana, based on shared democratic values and all-around social welfare," he said.
AICC Telangana in-charge Manikrao Thakre reiterated that the Congress would not have an alliance with the BRS. “It will not even be a part of the national opposition alliance,” he said.
Later, the Congress shared pictures of the meeting on Twitter. The other leaders who attended the meeting were Renuka Chaudhary, V. Hanumantha Rao, Shabbir Ali, T. Jayaprakash ‘Jagga’ Reddy and N. Uttam Kumar Reddy.
“The people are reeling under poverty even 10 years after the formation of Telangana. The situation has changed and people are looking for change. The BRS is trying to help the BJP to damage the Congress. A massive outreach plan will also be formulated soon to reach out to all the households in the state,” Thakre said.
"The Telangana government has not fulfilled its promises to the people. Loot is going on and the people want a change," Thakre said, adding that the party high command heard out leaders from the state and all the leaders have pledged to work together.
Thakre and other leaders hinted that efforts would be made to reach out to like-minded secular parties, suggesting that some sort of an alliance could be stitched up.
The Congress also accused the K. Chandrashekar Rao-led BRS government of helping the BJP in Telangana and other states.
Explaining the issues that came up for discussion Manthani MLA, D. Sridhar Babu told this newspaper, “Efforts will be made to reach out to all communities with more declarations akin to the Youth Declaration and Farmers declaration. We will dump the Dharani portal as promised by Rahul Gandhi. Separate declarations will be issued for women and BCs shortly.”
Those airing difference of opinions in the media will be taken to task was the message driven out to the leaders. The term of the 119-member Telangana Assembly will end in December.
