Will Cong’s ‘Mohabbat ki dukan’ triumph in Sanathnagar segment?

Hyderabad: Kota Neelima the Congress candidate for Sanathnagar has adopted a different style of campaign. Unlike most she just does not handover leaflets, fold hands and seek votes. She lends an ear to their grievances which is helping her to catch the attention of the voters.

She feels that this human approach would help her win the hearts and confidence of the voters who would create history through ‘silent voting’ on November 30.

Inspired by Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Mohabbat ki dukan’, Neelima who had left her imprint as a researcher and social worker in the constituency before she was picked up by AICC as party candidate is getting connected to voters particularly women. She spends some time at every doorstep patiently listening to woes of the voters particularly women across all the divisions in Sanathnagar. With just 20 days left for the ‘D’ day, she hit the top gear and is being well supported by the party rank and file. The enthusiasm of the cadre is helping her in meeting all the constituents with ease during her door-to-door campaigns, padayatra, corner meetings and bike rallies.

“The way people are welcoming me is overwhelming. They share grievances openly and this is only possible when someone feels comfortable and accept you to be one among them. Their love and affection gives us more energy,” she told Hans India during the campaign trail.

Kota Neelima takes credit for some of the civic works which were completed in the recent days in the constituency. She along with the locals had raised the issues in areas like S R Nagar some three four months back and the administration had to resolve those issues.

This gave happiness to her but the biggest problem in the constituency despite being represented by a minister is lack of basic facilities like clean drinking water and water for household use in areas like Bansilalpet. Women whom she met broke into tears while sharing their grievances with her as no leader or officer cared for them.

Neelima alleged that Talasani Srinivas Yadav and his henchmen had created an atmosphere of fear. She said as a researcher she travelled across the country, but never came across this kind of pressure tactics and intimidation.

She said soon after she and her team left the place BRS activists were going there and threatening women for having complained against the ruling party.

Being a social worker, she has her own style of interaction with voters. She does not just narrate the six guarantees of Congress party but explains to them how it would benefit them.

Among the main complaint from the voters is that the promise of 2BHK has not been fulfilled.

The few houses that have been allotted are ridden with problems like irregular water supply, lack of civic facilities. “Why can’t the government understand that even the poor require basic facilities,” she laments.