Chief Minister Revanth Reddy will be banking on his three-pronged strategy — schemes, sentiment and restoration of self-respect — for the party campaign in the State for the Lok Sabha elections, which is scheduled to be launched in the first week of April at Tukkuguda.
The Parliament elections would be a litmus test for the entire State party leadership, even as they appear to be confident of the fruits of the five months of rule, by May 13, when the voters will go to the polling booths for the first time after the Congress government took over.
Exuding confidence, Mr. Reddy himself declared that people should vote based on his government’s performance. He would have obviously chosen this narrative keeping in mind that people would also gauge his rule in the two harsh summer months before the elections.
With five out of the six guarantees taking off and stabilising slowly, the Congress party has gained the confidence to believe that they can impress the Telangana psyche, which doesn’t accept an attack on its self-respect come what may.
By opening the gates of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Praja Bhavan (earlier Pragati Bhavan) and the State Secretariat to the common man the Congress has been able to convince people that this government would welcome different sections of society with open arms. Chief Minister himself meeting people and organisations and Ministers available to anyone on regular basis this government is able to establish a connect with society.
Free travel in buses has instantly become a hit with women and so is the availability of LPG cylinder for ₹500 and the 200 units of free electricity scheme for the eligible. These schemes have high sentimental value connecting to millions of women and internal surveys of the party have revealed the same.
Indiramma housing scheme and enhancing Arogyasri limit to ₹10 lakh have been launched as promised but their impact can be judged only after some time as the beneficiary numbers are comparatively less.
Challenges galore
With the poor monsoon last year and its impact reflecting in the shortage of water for irrigation and pressure on electricity supply in the harsh summer with the water levels in the projects touching nadir, the biggest challenges Mr. Reddy will face ahead of the elections.
Lucky mascot
Mr. Revanth Reddy has planned to kick off the election campaign of the Congress party for the Lok Sabha from Tukkuguda, as it has been lucky for him. He ended his first padayatra (Rythu Bharosa Yatra) at Tukkuguda in 2021 before he became the PCC chief. The same venue was chosen for the massive public meeting after the conclusion of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting where Sonia Gandhi announced the six promises.
The same place will see the Parliament elections campaign kicking off in the presence of Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge in the first week of April.
