Anticipating victory, Cong treads cautiously on welcoming BRS defectors

New Delhi, Oct 8 (IANS) The Congress, which is hoping to come to power in Telangana, is focusing on taking the party’s six guarantees to every household in the southern state in order to get Karnataka-like results.

The grand old party, which has got a major boost ahead of the forthcoming Assembly elections with several leaders of the ruling party Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) joining it in the last few months, is now treading carefully in inducting other leaders.

Congress incharge for Telangana, Manikrao Thakre, told IANS that the Congress is going to come to power in the state after the Assembly elections as the people are fed up with the 10-year rule of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao-led BRS.

Thakre said, “People want to see a Congress victory in Telangana as in the last ten years they have faced a lot. And I am 100 per cent sure that the Congress will win these elections.”

According to party sources, the BRS government will keep on running its campaigns till the declaration of the election Model Code of Conduct. “But once the election schedule is declared they won't be able to campaign properly. The people are fed up with the BRS government and the Congress’ graph is rising. They want to bring the party to power,” the source said.

The source also said that the “BRS government is basically governed by KCR’s family and the people are aware of it. So, they don't want BRS to win this time.”

Talking about the Congress’ campaign and its impact in the state the source said, “Due to our campaigns, many people have joined us from the BRS and many are in line to join us.” 

“But we are treading slowly and inducting people from the BRS at places where the Congress is not strong. So, we are considering carefully before inducting BRS leaders and we will also consider our workers and leaders first so that they are not demoralised. We will give respect to the people coming to the party and also accommodate them after speaking to party leaders and workers,” the source said.

The source also said that former party chief Rahul Gandhi talking about equal participation and the caste-based census and speaking up for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) is going to play a major role in Telangana as at least 33 per cent of the population is from the OBC community.

“A message is going out to the people that Rahul Gandhi is speaking for them and for their rights,” the source said.

The source added that the Congress will soon launch a bus yatra in the state which will be attended by several senior leaders.

“We are designing a bus campaign. Party strategist Sunil Kanugolu is assisting in designing the yatra in the state and he is giving feedback as he has been given the responsibility for its content among other things,” the source said.

He also said that due to its six guarantees the Congress is connecting with the people.

“Especially the women and the senior citizens are connecting with the party. Even the promise of the Old Pension Scheme has had a very big impact on the people in the state,” he added.

The Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi during a public meeting in Telangana announced six guarantees for the state if the party came back to power.

The former Congress President said that under the ‘Mahalakshmi’ scheme, the first of the six guarantees, Rs 2,500 per month financial assistance would be given to women in Telangana, gas cylinders would be provided at Rs 500, and there would be free travel for women in state transport buses.

The other five “guarantees” announced by the Congress are for the state’s farmers, poor families and students. Under the ‘Rythu Bharosa’ scheme, the Congress promised an annual financial assistance of Rs 15,000 for farmers, Rs 12,000 per year to agriculture labourers, and a bonus of Rs 500 per quintal for paddy above the Minimum Support Price.

The ‘Indiramma’ housing scheme promises a plot of land and Rs 5 lakh for the construction of a house for the poor, besides a 250 square yard plot for families of martyrs.

The ‘Gruha Jyothi’ scheme promises 200 units of free electricity to each underprivileged household, while a health insurance cover of up to Rs 10 lakh and Rs 4,000 pension to the poor has been promised under the ‘Cheyutha’ scheme.

The ‘Yuva Vikasam’ scheme offers Rs 5 lakh financial assistance to underprivileged students for pursuing higher education, apart from the establishment of Telangana International Schools in every block.

 The source also said that the BJP is completely on the back foot in the state and they are not in a position to challenge the Congress.

 He said that the BJP will hardly get four to six seats in the elections.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s revelation about the BRS chief seeking to be a part of the NDA and being rejected by him, the source said it was “all drama.”

“Everyone knows that the BJP, BRS and AIMIM are together. One thing is clear that they had come to talk, but the Prime Minister claiming that he refused them entry into the NDA is wrong. They are saying all this in order to do damage control so that their votes are not split. Everyone knows their politics,” the source added.

 The source also said that the Congress would be holding a Screening Committee meeting on October 8 and then the seats would be declared after the CEC meeting in the national Capital.