Vote for development, appeals Konda Surekha in Khammam

Khammam: Forest, Environment and Endowments Minister Konda Surekha called upon voters to support the Congress party in the upcoming municipal elections, asserting that development and welfare were possible only under Congress rule.

Addressing a press conference held under the chairmanship of District Congress Committee president Nuthi Satyanarayana Goud, the minister, who is also the in-charge for municipal elections in the Khammam Parliamentary constituency, said the previous governments had failed to prioritise public welfare. She alleged that ration cards were denied to eligible beneficiaries and housing schemes were implemented in a token manner, while corruption had become the sole objective of governance. “People taught the previous regime a fitting lesson and handed over power to the Congress,” she said.

Konda Surekha said that since the formation of the Congress government under the leadership of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, people-centric governance was being implemented. She listed welfare initiatives such as issuance of ration cards to the poor, free bus travel, free power supply to economically weaker sections, farmer support schemes and farm loan waivers.

She said the Congress government had earned the trust of people across all sections, which was reflected in the recent rural local body elections where Congress-backed candidates won in large numbers. This, she said, was a clear endorsement of the government’s performance.

The minister said that several development works were being taken up in rural areas and assured that municipalities would also witness accelerated development with the support of the people. She urged voters to elect Congress candidates in the municipal polls to ensure sustained progress.

On candidate selection, she said that wherever there was more than one aspirant for ward councillor posts, MLAs, senior leaders and party functionaries would collectively decide on winnable candidates. She added that the process was being carried out smoothly in line with the directions of the party leadership, including the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, AICC in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan, TPCC president B. Mahesh Kumar Goud and AICC secretaries.

She also appealed to journalists to create awareness among the public by highlighting the difference between the previous government and the present people-oriented administration. Several Congress leaders, including Khammam City Congress Committee president Deepak Chowdary, State Warehousing Corporation Chairman Rayala Nageswara Rao, district-level office-bearers, leaders of affiliated organisations and party workers, attended the press meet.