Former Congress president and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi is slated to campaign for Telangana Assembly polls on November 23. According to party sources, Sonia is scheduled to address a rally in Warangal.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi is likely to campaign for his party candidates in Mahbubnagar and Khammam on November 28 and 29 respectively. He will also undertake a roadshow in Khammam.
The election to the 119-member assembly of Telangana is scheduled to be held on December 7. The counting of votes will take place on December 11.
Earlier on Saturday, Rahul, who was campaigning in poll-bound Chhattisgarh, hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi by accusing him of insulting Congress leaders like Mahendra Karma and Narendra Kumar Patel, who fell to the bullets of Naxals in Chhattisgarh.
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The Gandhi scion also promised all-loan waiver to poor farmers within 10 days of forming the government if voted to power in Chhattisgarh. He also touched upon the issue of unemployment and promised that after coming to power, his government will work day and night to set up food processing factories in every block and district of the state.
With Rahul reiterating the importance of state-specific alliances, the Congress is making a clear distinction between state and national elections, citing their different dynamics. “The mahagathbandhan is a concept drafted by journalists. As far as Congress and other opposition parties are concerned, we will have a state-wise alliance depending on the strength, resilience and seat conversion of each party,” says Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala. Still, there is a question about the degree to which the Congress has adjusted to coalition politics—its capacity to view alliances in strategic terms rather than as compulsions. “We are very new to the business of alliances on this scale. It will be a while before people internalise the whole process,” admits Congress leader Salman Khurshid.
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(With inputs from ANI)
