Hyderabad: All India Congress Committee president Mallikarjuna Kharge and senior party leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday gave their nod to conduct local body elections in Telangana.

During a meeting with Chief Minister Anumula Revanth Reddy and Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president B Mahesh Kumar Goud, the national party leaders congratulated them for winning the Jubilee Assembly seat in the just held byelections. Newly-elected MLA Naveen Yadav was also felicitated in the meeting by the AICC leaders in New Delhi on Saturday.

The CM briefed Rahul Gandhi about the state government’s readiness to hold the local body elections and the Cabinet meeting on Monday. Revanth Reddy also informed Kharge of the government’s plans to organize Global Summit in Hyderabad and unveiling of TelanganaRising 2047 Vision document on December 9 in Hyderabad. State leaders said that Rahul Gandhi was elated to hear the Congress’ victory in the JH byelection and instructed the party leadership to go aggressive in the local body elections, including the GHMC polls.

The party’s strategy to win the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections was also discussed during the meeting with the AICC president at his residence in the national capital. Speaking to newsmen after the meeting, Mahesh Kumar Goud said the government is committed to implement 42 per cent reservation for Backward Classes (BCs) in the local body polls and the same issue was also discussed in the meeting. The Chief Minister and himself explained the challenges to implement the enhanced BC reservation in view of standoff between the state and Central governments on the issue, he said. In the meeting with AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, the leaders also discussed the need for the Cabinet expansion to fill two vacant berths. The party leader enquired about the list of ministerial aspirants. Venugopal reportedly advised the Chief Minister and TPCC chief to put an end to the internal squabbles before going for local body elections and the Cabinet expansion. The implementation of the welfare schemes and pending promises was also discussed in the meeting. Revanth Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka also briefed the leaders about the financial condition of the state, and challenges in fulfilling the promises.