Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday met all the senior party leaders from Telangana to discuss party’s election strategy and issue of alliance with other parties. During the three-hour long meeting, Rahul also met some of the leaders individually.
Rahul asked the leaders not to make any public comments on the issue of alliance and ticket distribution and not to criticise each other. He assured that the party will give tickets only to the winning candidates and all the MLAs with a good image will be fielded from their constituencies. Rahul observed that Congress will fight in all the constituencies where it was strong and leave the other constituencies to the other alliance partners.
After the meeting briefing the media the AICC Secretary RC Kuntia said that all those who were fighting against the corrupt and autocratic rule of Telangana Rashtra Samiti were with the Congress and the party was ready to align with the Telugu Desam party.
Rahul Gandhi has authorized the State Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy to hold talks with the other parties, he said. “But the final decision on the alliance will be of the AICC President” , he said adding that the Congress will abide by the alliance-dharma in the distribution of tickets. “party president urged all the leaders to work together to bring Congress to power and warned that anti party activity by any leader however big he might be will not be tolerated”, Kuntia said.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the party will not leave the constituencies, where it was confident of winning, to other parties.
It was also decided that during the election campaign Rahul Gandhi will address rallies in 10 districts. Rahul has also constituted a three member screening committee for Telangana. Some of the leaders requested that Sonia Gandhi should also visit the state for election campaign.
On the occasion TRS MLC Bhupti Reddy and noted film producer Bandla Ganesh joined the Congress party in presence of Rahul Gandhi.