Top leaders make last-ditch effort to woo undecided voters in Telangana

Campaigning for Wednesday’s simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and State Assembly seats in Telangana came to an end on Monday evening even as electioneering gathered momentum in Seemandhra region where elections will be held on May 7.

Top leaders from all the political parties, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, Telugu Desam Party supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu and YSR Congress (YSRC) chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy besides Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president K. Chandrasekhar Rao made last ditch efforts in the past two days to swing the voters’ tide in their favour. The leaders held road shows and public meetings across the region, which is set to become India’s 29th state on June 2.

As many as 265 candidates are in the fray for the 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana while another 1,669 candidates would lock horns for the 119 Assembly seats. Almost all the constituencies across Telangana, both Lok Sabha and State Assembly, will witness triangular or multi-cornered contests with Congress, TRS and the BJP-TDP alliance fielding candidates. In constituencies where the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) has candidates, it would be multi-cornered contests.

Sonia Gandhi, who addressed two meetings in Telangana on Sunday, sought to strike an emotional chord with the people, stating that she faced a lot of problems from various quarters while dealing with the division of the state.

The UPA chairperson said that despite the hurdles on the path of granting separate statehood, the Congress remained steadfast to its commitment. “We had to convince other parties about the need to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh. We had to go through so many inexplicable hurdles, but despite these problems, the Congress went ahead with the decision to make Telangana state a reality,” she said, addressing a public meeting in Chevella near Hyderabad.

Stating that the Congress understood the aspirations of the people of the region, she said: “Even within our own party, we faced problems. But, finally we overcame them. Our effort was to ensure justice to the Telangana people. For us, social justice means the lowest section of the society should get an equal opportunity for development.”

Launching a scathing attack on Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and its president K. Chandrasekhar Rao for the “double-speak”, she said that TRS’ “dual face” was there for all to see. She accused KCR, as the TRS chief is known in political circles, of being opportunistic and self serving. “Power should not go into the hands of unethical people,” she said.

“Now that the bifurcation is over, it is time to elect a responsible and responsive government in your state. Congress has a clear vision and a clear plan for Telangana’s development and prosperity. We want Telangana to have a bright future,” the Congress president said.

Sushma Swaraj, addressing a series of public meetings in Warangal, Medak and Nalgonda districts besides Hyderabad, said Telangana became a reality only because of the solid support extended by the BJP to the passage of the bill in parliament. “It is ridiculous for Congress to claim sole credit for the creation of the new state,” she said, adding that the ruling party had, on the other hand, created a rift between the people of Telangana and Seemandhra by handling the division in a shoddy manner.

Giving full credit for the creation of the new state to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the cause, the BJP leader said: “The UPA government was apprehensive that the NDA, when it comes to power, will grant separate statehood for Telangana, and it was this fear that led the Congress to rush through the division process in a hurried and shabby manner. Telangana is a reality today only because of the sacrifices of over 1,100 youths for the cause,” she said.

Meanwhile, Jagan, making his maiden appearance in Telangana after the bifurcation of the state, claimed he was confident of winning in both Seemandhra and Telangana. “The first five papers that I will sign after forming the governments will change the destiny of the people of the two states,” he said at public meetings in Nalgonda and Warangal districts.

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