Congress party president Sonia Gandhi tried to revive the Gandhi family’s link to the people of Medak district by reminding them of their association with her mother-in-law and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Addressing an election rally in this village, located about 80 kilometres from Hyderabad, on Sunday, she said they had showered their love and affection on Indira Gandhi when she had contested an election from here in 1980. In return, the late Indira Gandhi had developed the district by bringing up industrial revolution in Medak and creating employment potential not only to the local people but outsiders too by setting up industries.
The Congress party needed similar support from the people now for the development of Telangana State. “Development of Telangana, a six-decade-old dream fulfilled by the Congress, is possible only with Congress in power”, she said alleging that TRS and TDP-BJP combine were only power hungry and they could not even think about the progress of the new State.
By recollecting Indira Gandhi’s association with the people of Medak, Ms. Gandhi tried to strike a cord with the masses from the word go and re-assuring them that the development that was achieved in Medak by Indira Gandhi could be replicated in Telangana by the Congress with people’s support in the present elections, the first one after the bifurcation of the State. The crowd received Ms. Gandhi enthusiastically , though she arrived two hours late, by responding with a huge applause when she expressed her gratitude for such a reception. Ms. Gandhi reached the venue in Andole assembly constituency by road as the helicopter she was flying had developed a technical snag at Chevella, where she addressed her first rally of the day.
However, as it was getting delayed for the crowd gathered from far-off places, they started leaving the venue as soon as she started her speech. She tried to win them over further by waving to the crowd in an open top vehicle while leaving the venue.
On creation of Telangana, the Congress chief said it was the party’s resolute decision to keep the word given to people that had made it possible even though the TDP, BJP and YSR Congress had tried to scuttle it in Parliament. She criticized TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao for not being present when the Telangana Bill was introduced in Parliament. “It showed the party’s sincerity to the cause, in spite of its tall claims”, Ms. Gandhi said.
After reeling out the welfare and development schemes planned by the party for Telangana, she said a vote for Congress in the region would be a vote for a bright future.
