Hyderabad: The overwhelming response for United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson and top Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, by supporters in Telangana, at her maiden rally in the state has come as a much-needed boost for the Congress-led Grand Alliance of opposition parties in the run up to the December 7 Assembly polls.
Sonia, who shared the stage with her son and Congress President Rahul Gandhi at a rally at Medchal, 40 kilometres from Hyderabad, was given a rousing reception at a “thanksgiving” meeting organised by the Congress party, as a mark of gratitude to her for helping create the Telangana state about five years ago.
Sonia, who was repeatedly referred to as “Telangana Talli” (mother of Telangana) and “Soniamma” by speaker after speaker, evoked loud cheers from the massive gathering. She likened her visit to “a mother meeting her children after a long gap”.
Decrying TRS rule
It was Sonia’s first visit here since the formation of Telangana state and the defeat of the Congress party in the state.
“We accepted the demand for Telangana state, knowing fully well that the Congress party would have to suffer heavily and pay a big political price,” she said. “A mother always wishes to see her children flourish. That is why the UPA government had created separate Telangana state”, she said.
Congress had suffered a major setback and psychological blow, when Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) President K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) — after initial promises that he would ally with Congress — left it in the cold and contested the polls alone.
Lashing out at KCR’s four-and-a half-year-old rule, Sonia termed it “autocratic family rule”.
“Look at how the state that we fought for fell into the hands of the reckless TRS. Now, I am worried about the people of Telangana. The development of Telangana was not done as promised,” she said, adding that only one family had benefited since the formation of the state.
The crowd replied with a negative roar, when she asked whether their aspirations from a separate Telangana state had been fulfilled.
Significantly, the leaders of the Grand Alliance’s other constituents — TDP, Telangana Jana Samiti and Communist Party of India (CPI) — and other leaders, including folk singer Gaddar, were also present on the dais to greet Sonia.
Leaders of Congress and other parties were elated about the public meeting’s success, and hoped that this would got a long way in energising and galvanising their ranks to go all out to ensure their victory in the elections.
‘Supporting Andhra on Telangana soil’
Rahul, who travelled separately from Madhya Pradesh to Hyderabad but returned with his mother on the same special flight that night, said that the TRS government had badly let down Telangana people. “Now all parties have joined to end this misrule,” he said.
At the same time, Sonia and Rahul also tried to woo the people of Andhra Pradesh by promising that as soon as the Congress comes to power at the centre, it will fulfil the promise of giving the state special category status (SCS).
Alleging that the TRS had made millions through corruption and was not using it to lure the voters, they said Congress does not have that kind of money.
The double barrel attack seems to have stung the TRS badly, as it fielded two senior leaders to counter the attack. KCR’s daughter and MP K Kavita alleged that Sonia’s speech was scripted by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. She expressed her surprise at Sonia speaking for Andhra Pradesh, on Telangana soil.
T Harish Rao, a senior minster and KCR’s nephew, said that special category status to Andhra Pradesh will be harmful for Telangana’s interest. “They had promised that along with giving SCS to Andhra Pradesh, industrial incentives will be given to Telangana. Then why did Sonia not mention anything about it now?” he asked.
