With only a day left till campaigning ends in Telangana region, where 17 lok Sabha and 119 Assembly seats are going to polls on Wednesday, all the major political parties have pulled out all the stops to woo the electorate.
But the campaign has also touched a nadir in its shrillness with politicians making no-holds-barred attacks on their rivals. Some have gone to the extent of calling others “thieves, cheaters and mad fellow”.
Actor Pawan Kalyan, who was the star campaigner for the BJP-TDP alliance, has lashed out at the TRS president K Chandrashekar Rao.
Addressing an election rally, he warned KCR that he would peel his skin if he does not stop attacking BJP’s PM candidate Narendra Modi. The actor was incensed with KCR for dismissing the BJP leader as “Modi ledu Gedi ledu” (there is no Modi, no Gedi).
KCR was also locked in a slanging match with Congress State president Ponnala lakshmaiah and charged him with grabbing the land of Dalits. Congress leader, on the other hand, alleged that KCR and his family was involved in extortion of money. “Telangana Bhavan (TRS headquarters) has been converted in to a business centre,” lakshmaiah said.
While Sonia Gandhi continued her efforts to retain Congress hold over the region by addressing two rallies at Chevella in Ranga Reddy district and Medak on Sunday, her main rival in the region TRS president K Chandrashekar Rao went all out by addressing as many as 11 meetings in and around Hyderabad.
His roadshow covered Ranga Reddy, Hyderabad and Medak districts as he continued his tongue lashing against the Congress and the BJP.
Former Test cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin and film star Nagma also participated in the campaign in Nizamabad district. While Azharuddin belongs to Hyderabad but was contesting lok Sabha elections form Rajasthan, film star Nagma was quiet popular in the State for his numerous roles in Telugu films.
Addressing a series of meetings in Nizamabad lok Sabha constituency, Azharuddin urged the people to elect the Congress — both at the Centre and the State — to build a developed Telangana.
Top leaders have also plunged into action on behalf of the BJP-TDP alliance. Their star campaigner Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu undertook a whirlwind tour of Nizamabad, Ranga Reddy and Medak districts rounding up his tour for the day in Hyderabad.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan and Central leaders Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Prakash Javadekar were among the top guns of the BJP who took part in the campaign in the different places in Telangana on Sunday.
Addressing election meeting in Janagam in Warangal district, where Congress Telangana committee president was in the fray, Chouhan said that the BJP will develop a “golden Telangana” on the lines of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. He urged the people not to be misled by Congress party’s promises. “Congress never kept its promises”, he said.
YSR Congress party leader YS Jaganmohan Reddy, who has lost the ground in Telangana because of his opposition to Telangana State was also campaigning in Telangana region. After visiting Nalgonda on Saturday, he was addressing meetings in Khammam district bordering Andhra on Sunday. He promised to implement all the welfare schemes which he promised for Seemandhra region.
After the electioneering comes to an end on Monday evening, the national parties will turn their focus on Seemandhra where 25 lok Sabha and 175 Assembly seats will go to poll son May 7 in the penultimate phase. BJP’s prime ministerial face Narendra Modi was scheduled to address a rally in Tirupati on April 30 evening. It will be followed by his four more rallies on May 1 all over Seemandhra.
BJP’s electoral ally Chandrababu Naidu is likely to share the dais with Modi at couple of these rallies. Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are also scheduled to address many rallies in Seemandhra. Sonia will be in Visakhapatanam on May 2.