HYDERABAD: State Congress leaders on Wednesday were on cloud nine with TRS-backed candidates losing in the elections to the Legislative Council. Several party leaders felt that this was a sign that Congress would perform well in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
AICC in-charge for Telangana RC Khuntia, in a statement, said, “It is a victory of the people of Telangana.” He congratulated senior leader T Jeevan Reddy who won the graduates’ constituency with a thumping majority.
Khuntia said that the defeat of TRS was a reflection of its ‘anti-people’ politics. He added that TRS could win in the Assembly elections in December only because they tampered EVMs and this could not happen in MLC polls as ballot papers were used instead.
Meanwhile, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, the party’s candidate from Bhongir, said the victory of Congress and Left parties was a slap across the face of TRS. He called on Telangana Jana Samithi president M Kodandaram, who has decided to extend his support to Congress. AICC spokesperson Dasoju Sravan too congratulated Jeevan Reddy. “This victory is a stepping stone towards a democratic Telangana. In a similar way, Congress candidates will win in the Lok Sabha elections too,” he said, and reiterated Khuntia’s claims of TRS tampering EVMs in the Assembly polls.
Former MLA Malreddy Rangareddy added: “TRS had really won only 45 seats in the Assembly polls. The other 40 were won by managing EVMs. I ask the officials to count VVPAT slips in the polls this time.”
Come back: Gudur
Meanwhile, TPCC treasurer Gudur Narayan Reddy called upon all party leaders and MLAs that had defected to TRS to come back to the Congress-fold. “I request all Congress MLAs who left to come back so that we can teach TRS a lesson,” he said.
Rahul to address three meetings in TS on Apr 1
AICC president Rahul Gandhi will address three election meetings in Telangana on April 1. He will speak at a meeting at Zaheerabad at 12 noon. Later, he will proceed to Wanaparthy, a part of Nagarkurnool, segment for a meeting at 2 pm. He will address another meeting at Huzurnagar at 4 pm, covering Nalgonda segment.