AICC president Sonia Gandhi and BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi are all set to address meetings for the second time in the next few days in Telangana and Seemandhra regions, pitching hard for the victory of their candidates.
With the first phase of general elections in united AP scheduled for April 30 in Telangana and the second phase for May 7 in Seemandhra, the Congress and the BJP have chalked out the second round of campaign schedule for their leaders. Ms. Gandhi, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Mr. Modi vied with each other in the last one week to address a series of rallies in Telangana.
Mr. Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to address two election rallies in Warangal and Hyderabad on April 25. The next day, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to address a rally at Bhongir town of Nalgonda district. The AICC president will wind up her campaign in Telangana by addressing a public meeting in the Andole Assembly constituency represented by former Deputy Chief Minister C. Damodar Raj Narasimha.
After Mr. Modi’s whirlwind tour of Telangana on Tuesday where he addressed four meetings, the BJP is now eyeing some more meetings in Telangana as well as Seemandhra. BJP sources said Mr. Modi would address two more meetings in Telangana and four in Seemandhra.
Telangana Congress president Ponnala Lakhsmaiah on Wednesday held a meeting with Union Minister Jairam Ramesh, former Ministers – Danam Nagender and M. Mukesh Goud and Secunderabad MP Anjan Kumar Yadav to review the arrangements for Mr. Rahul Gandhi’s meeting at L. B. Stadium on April 25. The TPCC sources said initially, the Prime Minister was planning to address a meeting in Adilabad district but the venue was dropped after objections from security agencies. Now, he is planning to speak at a rally in Bhongir on April 26. Ms. Gandhi was scheduled to address a rally in Medak town on April 27 but the place was shifted to Andole.
Meanwhile, the AP Congress Committee has also chalked out its plans for meetings in Seemandhra. Sources close to the APCC president N. Raghuveera Reddy said Ms. Gandhi is likely to address three meetings at Guntur, Visakhapatnam and Hindupur. The schedule for Mr. Rahul Gandhi is not yet drawn up, the sources said, adding that the rallies would be held after May 1.
