As the campaign for Nagarjunsasagar bypoll reaches the final stage, Congress is harping on a new weapon to get the decisive vote for its candidate K. Jana Reddy projecting him as Chief Minister candidate for the 2023 Assembly elections.
‘Elect Mr. Jana Reddy, who will be Chief Ministerial candidate in the next elections, and that will bring the constituency into the limelight’ is what the Congress leaders have been projecting to locals in the internal campaign. “If TRS wins Mr. Bhagat will be one among the 100 MLAs with constituency unlikely to get any special favour,” is the line taken by the Congress leaders.
Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkata Reddy opened this argument for public debate during his campaigning on Sunday and the party hopes to take the narrative to a new level just before Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is planning a massive public meeting, a day after Ugadi on April 14.
A TRS leader in the constituency agreed that this sentiment will have some impact as Mr. Jana Reddy was always seen a CM candidate in the party during the Telangana agitation as well. Moreover, he has a connect of over four decades with the constituency and knows every inch of it apart from its people.
A Congress leader also recalled that Mr. Jana Reddy was the front runner as president of the first Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC), at the peak of the Telangana agitation, as well but lost out due to some miscommunication.
Former Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah was then appointed TPCC president and led the party in the 2014 Assembly elections.
Jana working overtime
Meanwhile, Mr. Jana Reddy is working overtime to revive his contacts reaching out to people who matter in each and every village seeking their support using the emotional connect he has with them. Community leaders who have been with him over the years and benefited politically or otherwise but are now with the ruling party for other reasons are being tapped for the help at the crucial stage of his political career.
His son Raghuveer Reddy has opened the back channel efforts identifying influential people in certain sections and engaging them with his father.
TRS leaders, who were ignored by the late Nomula Narasimhaiah, and with little say in the party are also on the radar. Most of these leaders had personal relation with Mr. Jana Reddy.
