Congress will win all 31 reserved seats in 2019 elections: Uttam

Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy exhorted cadre to work hard to ensure party's victory in all 31 Assembly constituencies reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Addressing the party workers meeting as part of Leadership Development Mission in Reserved Constituencies (LDMRC) at Prakasam Hall in Gandhi Bhavan on Thursday, Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the Congress workers should work hard to regain the confidence of SCs and STs across the Telangana State. In 2014 elections, the Congress party won only six out of 27 seats that it contested. While Congress won 4 out of 19 seats reserved for SCs, it was victorious on two out of 12 ST reserved seats. He said although the final outcome was not in Congress party's favour as TRS had won 18 seats, he said the difference between Congress and TRS vote share was just 9.72%. He said a small section of SC and ST voters got lured due to the tall promises made by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao. He said promises of Dalit CM, three-acres of land for each Dalit family and 12% reservation for STs helped TRS win majority of reserved seats. But this time, it will be impossible for TRS to retain even one seat and Congress party will register landslide victory in all 31 reserved seats, he predicted.

Uttam Kumar Reddy announced that by December 31, the formation of mandal-level committees would be completed in all 31 reserved seats. Further, he said the process for constitution of booth-level committees would be initiated. He asked party workers to actively participate in the revision of electoral rolls in the State and reminded that the Election Commission of India was taking up special drive on 17th and 24th of December. He said after the constitution of booth and mandal-level committees in 31 reserved seats, similar leadership development programme would be implemented in remaining 88 Assembly constituencies.

The TPCC chief asked party workers to make effective use of social media to take party's message to people. He informed that the TPCC was forming 50,000 WhatsApp Groups to strengthen its communication with the people. He said that the Congress leaders and workers should be more strategic and not generic in their approach towards issues. "TRS Government's failures to deliver on promises, inefficiency and corruption should be explained to the people in a simple manner. All sections of the society are unhappy with the performance of KCR Govt and we just need to enlighten them with relevant facts and figures," he said.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said it was Congress president Sonia Gandhi who granted statehood for Telangana in view of sacrifices made by students and youth. "We should expose as to how KCR and his family has ruined the original dream of Telangana. Each section of the society had a different expectation from the new State. However, in the name of 'Bangaru Telangana', KCR has made a 'Bangaru Kutumbam'. Students of Osmania University played a major role in Telangana formation. But today, they are being targeted by TRS Government on one pretext or the other. The Chief Minister had no courtesy to even express his condolences over the suicide of OU student Murali Mudiraj. Dalits of Nerella were brutally tortured in the constituency represented by Minister KTR while Tribal farmers were handcuffed and chained in Khammam for demanding better price for their produce. The members of SC and ST communities should be told that they were cheated and mistreated by TRS Government," he said.

The TPCC chief said that Congress party was bound to come to power in 2019 elections in Telangana and President-elect Rahul Gandhi will be country's next Prime Minister. He said after coming to power in 2019, Congress Government would waive off crop loans upto Rs. 2 lakh in a single take. In addition to the MSP, farmers would be given bonus for important crops. He said that premium for crop insurance would also be paid by the government. He said all pending bills of Indiramma Housing would be cleared and one additional room would be constructed for the beneficiaries.

AICC Telangana Incharge Secretary R.C. Khuntia, in his speech, stressed on strengthening party's organisational structure in Telangana. He said that the constitution of booth-level committees would be completed on priority basis and all workers would be trained to take party's message to the people in an effective manner. He said that the entire cadre should work hard to make Rahul Gandhi the next Prime Minister.

The meeting was also addressed by AICC SC Department chairman K. Raju, TPCC Working President Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and other leaders.