Ruling TRS, opposition Congress in election mode

Amid speculation about early assembly polls in Telangana,the ruling TRS and main opposition Congress Wednesday appeared to have gone into election mode with both trying to reach out to people in their own ways.

The TRS, which has already announced its plan to organise 100 public meetings in 50 days,is busy making arrangements for the first rally on September 7 at Husnabad near Karimnagar, to be addressed by party president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.

Rao had kicked off his successful election meetings in 2014 from Husnabad.

Legislative Assembly polls in Telangana are scheduled to be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections next year, but the political temperature in the state has risen with the speculation about early elections.

State IT and Municipal Administration Minister K T Rama Rao, son of the Chief Minister, addressed public meetings Wednesday in Mahabubnagar district.

Training his guns on the Congress, he alleged that the opposition party had done nothing substantial for people during its long rule and highlighted the welfare schemes initiated by the TRS government since 2004.

Congress leaders are creating hurdles for construction of irrigation projects in the state, Rama Rao alleged.

Rama Rao, who addressed a gathering here Tuesday, attacked the Congress,saying that the TRS is not worried about the impact of Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Telangana.

On the reported comments of some Congress leaders that TRS organised a major public meeting (recently) as it was worried over Gandhi's recent visit to Telangana, Rama Rao claimed that the congress president needed the support of the Samajwadi Party to win the election in Amethi, the Gandhi family bastion in Uttar Pradesh.

Congress, on the other hand, too tried to reach out to people by announcing several promises to the people.

They include free supply of various ration items (PDS) to SC and ST families who are in the BPL category.

The present subsidy system would continue for other sections, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president N Uttam Kumar Reddy told reporters.

BJP too said it is ready for the polls whenever they are held.

State BJP president K Laxman said his partys national president Amit Shah would also guide the partys campaign.

State Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar held a meeting with representatives of major political parties on revision of electoral rolls.

Wednesday's meeting was not about early polls,Kumar said.

Senior Congress leader M Sasidhar Reddy said his party is ready for polls whenever they are held, but sought that the election process should not be announced without fully verifying the voters' lists.