T-Congress pins hopes on Sonia

Leaders leaving no stone unturned to make the meeting a success

Officials reviewing arrangements for the public meeting of AICC president Sonia Gandhi at Ambedkar stadium in Karimnagar on Tuesday. Photo: Thakur Ajaypal Singh

Telangana Congress leaders are pinning hopes on AICC president Sonia Gandhi’s visit to Karimnagar on Wednesday to turn the tide in their favour in the Assembly and parliamentary elections on April 30.

By visiting this district headquarters town, considered battleground of statehood movement, Ms. Gandhi is fulfilling the assurance she had given in 2004 that the Congress was in favour of creating a separate State of Telangana. Party leaders see her public meeting at the sprawling Ambedkar Stadium here as a kick-start to revive the fortunes of Congress in Telangana.

State Congress leaders are leaving no stone unturned to make the meeting a success, as it comes two days after TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao addressed an impressive rally here.

Ms. Gandhi while arrive at Begumpet airport and take a helicopter to Karimnagar to address the meeting at 4 p.m. Efforts are being made to ensure that Ms. Gandhi interacts with the kin of those who had laid down their lives for Telangana cause.

AICC secretary R.C. Khuntia is here to supervise the arrangements.

He told

The Hindu the meeting is historic as 16 LS candidates and over 70 MLA candidates would be attending the rally in a show of strength. Karimnagar MP Ponnam Prabhakar said massive mobilisation was under way to express people’s gratitude to Ms. Gandhi. “We have fulfilled what we have promised. None can stop our victory in the elections,” he said.

Unprecedented security arrangements are being made by deploying additional police forces from Karimnagar, Warangal and Adilabad districts.