With just around three months left for the conduct of assembly elections in Telangana, the two major national parties – the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party are vying with each other to bring their national leaders to kickstart their election campaigns.
While ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has single-handedly been leading his party’s campaign by addressing meetings at different parts of the state, the Congress and the BJP have started their campaigns by roping in their big bosses from Delhi.
On Saturday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge launched his party’s campaign from the party’s favourite ground Chevella in Ranga Reddy district by announcing the SC/ST declaration, making several promises to the Dalits and tribals.
The party is planning yet another huge rally at Mahabubnagar shortly by roping in Priyanka Gandhi in the first week of September. If everything works out, even Sonia Gandhi would address a rally at Hyderabad on September 17, party sources said.
On the other hand, the BJP is bringing its trump card – Union home minister Amit Shah to Khammam on Sunday (August 27) to address a massive public meeting to kickstart the BJP's campaign in Telangana.
According to the party sources, the rally is expected to be attended by lakhs of people, and would be Shah's first major public event in Telangana since the ruling BRS announced majority of its candidates.
Shah would also meet senior party leaders during his visit to assess the BJP's poll preparations and study the extent of anti-incumbency against the ruling KCR government in Telangana.
The party is also planning for a major rally by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, soon after the announcement of election schedule, party sources added.