Hyderabad: The Congress party appears to have adopted a new strategy to win 2019 elections. Instead of going for huge public meetings or rallies, this time, the Congress party is focussing on getting closer to select groups wherein a precise message could be given.
This was evident from the schedule of All India Congress Committee (AICC) President Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Hyderabad on 13th and 14th August wherein focus has been laid on meetings with different sections of the society than organising huge public meetings as it was done in the past. During Rahul Gandhi’s first visit to Telangana on June 1, 2017, a massive public meeting was organised in Sangareddy.
The two day programme of Rahul Gandhi comprises of a meeting with women in Rajendernagar constituency, settlers in Serilingampally, interactions with editors of all print and electronic media of Hyderabad and interactive session with 150 most prominent industrialists of Telangana. Separate Meetings with students of Osmania University and Muslim community leaders are also scheduled. However, these meetings are not decided randomly. They were finalised after a lot of planning and in-depth analysis of their possible impact on those sections.
According to sources, nearly 10,000 members of women SHGs from across Telangana State would participate in the meeting at Shamshabad. Rahul Gandhi is likely to give a comparative picture of how previous Congress Governments empowered women SHGs and how they are being neglected under TRS regime. He is also likely to unveil party’s plans for empowerment of women SHGs. They include revival of Abhay Hashtam Pension, Rs. 1 lakh grant to all women SHGs, arranging Rs. 10 lakh bank loan to each SHG with State Government bearing the interest burden, regularisation of services of nearly 4,200 contract staff working for Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), increase in salaries of Beema Mitra and Village Organisation Assistants (VOAs) to Rs. 7,500 per month, etc., Congress is also promising to build office buildings for women SHGs in all gram panchayats in Telangana.
About 52 lakh women are associated with nearly 4.5 lakh SHGs in rural areas while 15 lakh women are members of 1.5 lakh SHGs in urban areas. Through this meeting, Rahul Gandhi is likely to address the concerns of nearly 70 lakh women in the Telangana State.
Similarly, in the public meeting at Serilingampally, Rahul Gandhi is likely to give an assurance that the next Congress Government would take care of their safety and security. The settlers will also be given an assurance of being placement in prominent positions in next Congress Government. The Congress party is also planning to field prominent settlers as MP and MLA candidates in Greater Hyderabad.
In the meeting with business leaders, industrialists and small traders, Rahul Gandhi might speak about the negative impact of demonitisation, GST and other disastrous economic policies of Modi Government. He will also speak about closure of industries and loss of lakhs of jobs under BJP-TRS regimes. He will assure of very investment friendly atmosphere in Telangana if Congress party is voted to power in next elections.
Rahul Gandhi will speak on rising unemployment under BJP-TRS rule and difficulties being faced by students and their families due to wrong policies of present regimes. Likewise, the Congress president, in his meeting with Muslim community leaders, will highlight the fact that voting for TRS will be like for BJP. The Congress party has been describing Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao as an agent of Prime Minister Narender Modi and therefore, Rahul Gandhi will make it clear only Congress had the strength to defeat BJP at the national level.
The Congress leadership in Telangana is confident that Rahul Gandhi’s visit would provide required boost to the party to face and win next elections.(NSS)