Telangana Congress chief A Revanth Reddy (L) and state Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
Credit: PTI File Photos
New Delhi: By fielding A Revanth Reddy against Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Congress hopes to repeat what AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal did to its Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in 2013.
Fresh from setting up his party, Kejriwal threw himself against Dikshit in the contest against her pocket borough New Delhi seat but in the end lost to the younger leader in the electoral battle.
The parallel was drawn by a senior Congress strategist, who believes that KCR is on a slippery wicket and could lose both the seats, the other one being Gajwel, he is contesting. In Gajwel, KCR’s protege Etala Rajender is taking on the Chief Minister on a BJP ticket.
Reddy is also contesting from a second seat Kodangal but by throwing himself in the ring against KCR, the Telangana Congress president is trying to assert his space in state politics as well as a claim on the post of Chief Minister if Congress comes to power for the first time in Telangana.
Showcasing how seriously it views the fight against Rao, Congress will bring Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to campaign in Kamareddy on Friday.
Sources believe that the Congress prospects have “dramatically” changed in Telangana compared to one year ago where it struggled in Munugode bypolls after its sitting MLA left for BJP. BRS won the seat defeating him as well as the Congress but the leader is now back.
Similarly, sources point to the return of BJP Manifesto committee head Vivek Venkataswamy, the son of former Congress union minister G Venkataswamy, to the Congress. “The return of the former Munugode MLA itself shows the ‘climate change’ in Telangana,” a senior leader said.
Congress had contested 99 seats and won 19 with a vote share of 28.43 per cent. However, 14 of them defected to BRS and BJP.
However, Congress poll managers are confident of a better show and even emerging ahead of the BRS, which is completing ten years in power since the formation of Telangana. They point to YSRTP chief YS Sharmila’s decision to support Congress and not contest to pinpoint changing winds.
A senior Congress functionary Srivatsa posted on ‘X’, “2 former MPs, 22 former MLAs, 8 former MLCs, 9 former BRS MLA candidates, 58 corporators, 82 district panchayat members- these many have joined the Congress in Telangana as election approaches. It’s very clear which way the wind is blowing and as Rahul Gandhi said - it will be Congress Tsunami of 75+ seats on December 3.”
“KCR himself is all set to lose in Kamareddy seat against Revanth Reddy - a strategic move by the Congress to defeat the CM. KCR Family ATM will be shut down on December 3 and a ‘Prajala Telangana’ of Congress will form government and implement the six guarantees,” he said.