Congress will be strengthened from booth level in Hyderabad: Sameer

Hyderabad: Hyderabad District Congress Committee (DCC) President Sameer Waliullah on Wednesday expressed resolve to strengthen the Congress party from booth-level.

"Congress party always had a strong presence in Hyderabad. Irrespective of whether or not it was in power, Congress was always among the people and it fought for the resolution of their problems. However, it became a little weak and inactive in some areas due to the changed political circumstances and the defection of some leaders. We will regain the lost strength and bring back the lost glory of the Congress party in Hyderabad," said Sameer Waliullah in a media statement today.

Sameer Waliullah, who was recently appointed as the Hyderabad DCC President, informed that he has completed the first round of interaction with the party leaders and cadre in five Assembly constituencies viz., Charminar, Yakutpura, Chandrayangutta, Malakpet and Bahadurpura. He said separate meetings would be held with the leaders and workers of each Assembly constituency in the next two weeks to understand the local issues and come up with possible solutions.

"The exodus of some leaders to other parties in the last eight years has caused some damage to the party, but nothing has changed at the ground level. The Congress cadre, at the booth level, did not defect to any other party and remained loyal. A misconception has been created by our opponents that the Congress party is weak in Hyderabad, especially the Old City. We will now change that impression and activate the entire cadre to strengthen the party at the booth level in Hyderabad," he said.

Sameer Waliullah informed that the exercise for the formation of a new body for the Hyderabad DCC has been started. He said that prominence would be given to youth and the new body would have adequate representation of women. He said leaders belonging to all religions, castes and sections would be accommodated in the Hyderabad DCC to ensure social justice. He said the new body would be constituted in consultation with all senior leaders and the proposal would be sent to TPCC President A. Revanth Reddy for approval.

Similarly, booth committees would be formed in all constituencies under Hyderabad DCC, he said.

The Hyderabad DCC President informed that party offices would be set up in all Assembly constituencies in Hyderabad. He said Congress workers would be provided with all required support and necessary assistance to ensure their full involvement in party activities. "We are now focussed on the successful conduct of the 'Haath Se Haath Jodo' campaign which will be launched on January 26 after the completion of AICC leader Rahul Gandhi Ji's Bharat Jodo Yatra. This campaign will be organised at a massive scale in each ward under the Hyderabad DCC," he said.

He informed that an interactive meeting held on Tuesday at Gandhi Bhavan with the leaders of some constituencies in Hyderabad was quite successful. He said a lot of suggestions were made in the meeting which would help in strengthening the party in the city. He said many such meetings would be held in the next two-three weeks.

Sameer Waliullah said that the Congress cadre has been asked to identify and raise the local public issues in Hyderabad. He said separate reports on the present status of civic amenities and other problems being faced by the people in each Assembly constituency were being prepared and a series of agitations would be planned to seek resolution of those grievances. He said Hyderabad, especially the Old City, was in a state of neglect under the TRS Government.

"Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao has transformed TRS into BRS to enter national politics. He wants to visit several States in the country. But he never had the time to visit the Old City of Hyderabad in the last eight years. Except for a few occasions, no minister or even the Chief Secretary level officer conducted any inspection to check the problems being faced by the people. Congress party will play an active role in taking up those issues to force the authorities to resolve them," he said.