Cong ready to face Assembly polls in Telangana any time: TPCC

Congress, if voted to power in the coming Assembly elections in Telangana, would double the amount of social security pension for all categories of beneficiaries, state party president N Uttam Kumar Reddy said today.

The pension amount of Rs 1,000 per month presently being given to senior citizens, widows, weavers and others, would be increased to Rs 2,000, the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president told reporters here.

This assurance would be part of the party's manifesto for the assembly elections as per a decision based on the recommendation of a 42-member committee set up by the party to study the pension schemes, he said.

The TPCC leader also announced that the Congress government would give unemployment allowance of Rs 3,000 per month to at least 10 lakh youth across the state if it came to power.

He said there were clear indications of early Assembly polls and the Congress was ready to face them.

AICC President Rahul Gandhi, who visited Hyderabad on August 13 and 14, has been informed about the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's announcement that he would declare the candidates of his TRS party next month.

In response, Gandhi has asked him and AICC's in-charge for Telangana to constitute a committee to shortlist the aspirants so that the list of candidates could be released next month, Reddy said.

Assembly polls in Telangana are due along with the Lok Sabha polls next year.