Rahul Gandhi returned to Delhi after completing his three-day “Vijaya Bheri” Bus Yatra in Telangana districts. His sister Priyanka Vadra also came along on the first day. The big question is whether these Gandhis, who came with the mission of bringing Congress into power in the state, were able to properly assess the actual situation of the Congress party in the state!. After formation of separate state, Congress party was defeated in two consecutive elections. But, Rahul confidently said that it is the Congress government that will come after 2023 assembly elections.
Rahul expressed confidence that his party will defeat the BJP across India and also triumph over the BRS in Telangana as the grand-old party’s fight is not merely a political slugfest but a battle of ideologies and a “fight of DNA” rooted in fundamental principles. He said that coming assembly election is a fight between ‘Dorala’ Telangana and ‘Prajala’ Telangana. And hope that Congress' 6 Guarantees will provide support to every family of Telangana.
Congress Cadre Hope on Rahul:
Party leaders and cadre completely depended on the Rahul and Priyanka’s election campaign. State was partly covered in Bharat Jodo Yatra – BJY. The Yatra entered the state from Karnataka and covered some assembly segments in Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Medak districts. A good momentum was seen in the party cadre. But there is dissatisfaction among the party leaders that more districts were not covered in Bharat Jodo Yatra. Especially on the days when the Yatra is taking place in Telangana, the much hyped Munugode by-election was here. However, Rahul did not pay much attention to that by-election. That effect was also seen on the result of the Munugode. As the crucial Assembly elections are currently underway, party leaders are pinning a lot of hopes on Rahul's Vijaya Bheri bus yatra.
Dissidents are creating Havoc over MLA Tickets:
Congress faces typical situation while Rahul was in state tour. Party leaders staged a dharna in front of the hotel where Rahul stayed in Karimnagar. Congress leaders from Chennoor SC reserve constituency have expressed their concern to the party top leader. At the stage of alliance talks with the Left parties, there is talk that the Chennoor seat will be allotted to the CPI. Local Congress leaders feel that they will be treated unfairly if this happens.
As Rahul travels around the state, various protests & dharnas are taking place in front of the party's state office, Gandhi Bhavan, in Hyderabad. When the OBC leaders protested that they were not given due justice in the allotment of tickets, the women sat on the office steps demanding their right share. A situation where minority aspirants are seen asking how they will give tickets to BCs in Old City seats is a situation that depresses all the leaders.
Many seniors were expressed angry on leadership when their name did not appear in the first list of 55 names. Four or five aspirants have come before the media saying that PCC chief Revanth Reddy is selling tickets. The leaders of the dissidents openly made extreme accusations against Revanth Reddy saying that he had set various rates for tickets worth ten crores, a villa, and five hundred acres of land...
Contrary to the party's Udaipur declaration, giving two tickets to the families of Uttam Kumar Reddy and Mynampalli Hanmantha Rao was not accepted by some seniors. Top leader Kundurthi Jana Reddy, who expected tickets for both sons, got only one ticket. A strong leader like Nagam Janardhan Reddy did not get a ticket. At the time of writing this story, the Congress Party has announced only the first list. There are 55 names in it.
If there is so much confusion before the full list is out, what will be the condition of Gandhi Bhavan in the coming days is the question that is bothering the seniors of the party. There seems to be a lot of disunity among the seniors. There is an open criticism that some senior leaders are working as coverts for BRS chief and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. This allegation is not new. If Rahul Gandhi focused on such issues, the party would have benefited.
The biggest minus of all is that there is a strong suspicion in Telangana that those who won as Congress MLAs will sell out to BRS again. In that case, there is a danger that party fans and activists will think that why they vote for Congress?!. Not sure how the high command will address this.
Mulugu Sentiment for Vijaya Bheri Yatra:
Rahul choses Mulugu assembly constituency for the begin three-day yatra. Because sitting MLA Danasari Anasuya alias Sitakka is there. This former Maoist who joined the Congress party from the Telugu Desam party is a close follower of the current PCC chief Revanth Reddy. It is Congress's hope that she will win anyway. But this time a former Maoist leader named Bade Nagajyoti from BRS is contesting there. Both are strong candidates. Winning is not such easy now.
Rahul and Priyanka launched their yatra from historical Ramappa Temple. They worshiped there Lord Shiva. The “six guarantees” cards announced by the party were placed in front of Shiva and worshiped. This is a counter move to the BJP's brand of Hindutva sentiment.
As part of the yatra, Rahul Gandhi went to meet women, farmers and youth. Stopped here and there and had a cup of hot tea with all the party leaders at roadside tea stalls. When the party campaign team stopped at a hotel there, Rahul made dosa and tasted it by the leaders. Seniors like MP Komatireddy Venkata Reddy and CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka gathered around the table where Rahul was sitting. Their intention is to give a picture that their leader is very simple and inclusive. Such election gimmicks were common in the eighties. In the age of social media, there is no chance that the voters will be impressed by the tricks of the leaders.
Rahul said Gandhi family love Telangana. He recalled that his family has a connection with Telangana since the time of his great grandfather Jawahar Lal Nehru and grandmother Indira Gandhi. Rahul has made a lot of efforts to infuse such sentimental dialogues. It is true that after the experience of emergency, the whole country rejected Indiramma, but the voters of Telangana supported the Congress and voted to power in united Andhra Pradesh. Indiramma had to step into Parliament by winning from the Medak Lok Sabha constituency from Telangana area. It is a fact that the Telangana soil has worked like oxygen for the Congress party in many crisis times.
Neglecting PV; Big Mistake of Congress:
Rahul Gandhi knows that his party has so much love and connection with Telangana. But, he forgets the Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao of Telangana. PV taken up the prime minister responsibility and wore the crown of thorns as during the difficult days of Congress. PV was a visionary who realized early that the world was going into financial crisis and implemented economic liberalization policies. It is a fact that our country is reaching an economically stable position whether it is his merit. This is something that anyone can agree on regardless of politics.
PV Narasimha Rao, who was such an able leader, represented the Legislative Assembly four times from Manthani. He also served as the Chief Minister of the united Andhra Pradesh. Congress party has always insulted PV, such a simple man of the people. In the end, it was during his last rites that Congress bosses behaved inhumanly.
Present, Rahul Gandhi, who went to Manthani constituency as part of his yatra, did not even garland PV Narasimha Rao's statue. He did not even mention PV's name in his speeches. Rahul Gandhi asked the Manthani voters to win back Duddilla Sridhar Babu who is the Congress MLA in this constituency. But the name of PV, one of the top leaders of the Congress, who rose from this soil to become the Prime Minister of the country, is not mentioned even.
