Congress strategy to outwit BJP in North Telangana

Hyderabad: ‘How to ensure the victory of Congress in Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Secunderabad, Adilabad and Zaheerabad Lok Sabha constituencies’ is the main concern of the ruling Congress, and its chief is planning right strategies to realise party goals. Survey reports indicate that the saffron party has an edge in these constituencies. In view of this, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is said to have prepared a new blueprint to reverse the trend.

The possibility of changing some of the candidates is also not ruled out. Sources said that Revanth Reddy was weighing various options to field a strong leader from Karimnagar who can take on BJP former state president Bandi Sanjay. Efforts are on to restructure the leadership in this constituency so that they can give a tough fight to the rival candidate.

Similarly in Nizamabad, since the BJP and BRS have fielded candidates belonging to the Kapu community, the Congress wants to focus on other dominating communities and SC voters. Leaders from the BJP and BRS are being poached to consolidate the BRS vote bank in the constituency.

In Secunderabad segment, the Congress has speeded up efforts to identify the cadre who were earlier in the Congress and later migrated to the BRS and see that there was ‘ghar wapsi’ of such leaders. Since the Congress had to face two strong contenders, Union Minister G x` of BJP and T Padma Rao of BRS, the Congress party feels that apart from intensifying its campaign, it should also weaken the Opposition. Congress candidate and Khairatabad MLA D Nagendar is said to be in touch with all his old friends in the BRS and BJP.

“The TPCC chief has set the target for the Congress to win 14 MP seats in the elections. The party leadership is confident of winning Khammam, Nalgonda, Bhongir, Warangal, Peddapalli, Mahbubnagar, Chevella, Malkajgiri, Mahabubabad and Warangal seats. Survey reports said the BRS was strong enough in Medak and AIMIM would retain its traditional Hyderabad seats,” party sources said.

Though the Congress chief was confident of winning Zaheerabad segment, the party leaders said the sitting MP and BJP candidate BB Patil was considered a strong contestant and hence, the Congress was poaching the BRS cadre in the segment as the pink party’s candidate G Anil Kumar was not active in the electoral battle.