Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Telangana, his first since the formation of the State, will primarily focus on the farmers to highlight the sufferings of the farming community. The State of Telangana is among the States which has witnessed the highest number of farmers’ suicide, said Telangana State Congress Working president Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka. State Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy met Rahul and invited him to visit Telangana to meet the farmers.
Rahul Gandhi’s likely visit on May 9 or 10 will be the first high profile event for the party since its debacle in the elections last year. The State party leaders were given the responsibility to choose a suitable place for Rahul where an interaction with the farmers will be held. “Narsapur in Medak and Nirmal in Adilabad district were being considered for the programme”, Vikramarka said. While Rahul will undertake a padyatra (walk) in five of six villages in the chosen constituency, the party will mobilise 20,000 workers to accompany him.
Sources said that Medak was being considered more suitable as it was the home district of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and also because the district has seen most number of farmer suicides.
Rahul’s visit will mark the first serious challenge to be mounted by the Congress party to the TRS Government in the State. Despite being the second largest party in the State Assembly after the ruling TRS, the Congress has so far been overshadowed by the other parties, including the TDP and the BJP.
Now party leaders hope that Rahul’s visit will energise the rank and file and enable the State leaders to play a more effective role as Opposition.