Buoyed by sarpanch wins, Congress rolls up sleeves for civic polls

Hyderabad: Buoyed by its success in the recent Sarpanch elections, the ruling Congress party has moved into high gear for the upcoming municipal elections in Telangana. The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) will host a high-level strategy meeting at Gandhi Bhavan on 8 January, chaired by PCC President B Mahesh Kumar Goud, to finalise the roadmap for what party insiders are calling ‘Mission Municipal’.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and AICC state affairs in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan will attend as chief guests. The gathering will include ministers, MLAs, MLCs, and district presidents to address coordination gaps observed during the rural polls. The Chief Minister has reportedly taken a serious view of instances where a lack of synergy among legislators led to avoidable losses, and he is expected to issue stern directives to ensure a unified front in urban areas.

To ensure a transparent selection process, the party has introduced a rigorous vetting system. The PCC will invite proposals for six potential candidates from every ward and division. These names will then undergo an internal field survey to assess their grassroots presence, social mobilisation skills, and past electoral performance. The final ticket will only be awarded to the candidate identified as the strongest ‘winning horse’ through this data-led approach.

Beyond the elections, the meeting will focus on the ‘MGNREGA Bachao Sangram’ a nationwide agitation planned from 10 January to 25 February. The Congress is protesting against the Centre’s decision to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act with the VB-G RAM G (Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin). Party leaders allege that removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name and centralising the scheme’s funding is an attempt to dismantle a vital rural lifeline.

The agenda also includes briefing leaders on the state’s position regarding Krishna and Godavari water projects. Following a recent PowerPoint presentation by the government, the PCC wants its representatives to be well-versed in technical details to effectively counter opposition allegations and communicate the state's water rights to the public.