Local body polls, welfare schemes: Kharge to hold mega Congress rally at LB Stadium on July 4

Hyderabad: On July 4, All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge will address Congress workers at LB Stadium in Hyderabad as part of the ‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan’ movement. Over 15,000 grassroots Congress leaders are expected to attend the event.

The Congress president is also expected to meet the senior leaders of Congress, party presidents and others to understand the implementation of the different welfare schemes and the challenges faced by the government.

A senior Congress leader said, “Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has been talking to people but the message from the Delhi leaders of the Congress party is also important. With the local body elections and the Jubilee Hills constituency bye-election, the meeting has a large significance to boost the morale of the party workers and the leaders.”

Key points of the meeting are:

‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan’ Movement: This movement, adopted by the Congress Working Committee (CWC), aims to revisit the foundational values of India, embodying the ideals of non-violence, social justice and the protection of the Constitution. It seeks to align the legacies of Mahatma Gandhi (Bapu) and Dr BR Ambedkar (Bhim) to address contemporary challenges like polarisation, social inequalities and threats to democratic institutions. The campaign also specifically targets the BJP and RSS for allegedly insulting Dr Ambedkar and undermining the Constitution.

Inspire grassroots Congress workers: According to TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud, the meeting will serve to inspire village-level Congress workers and strengthen the party from the grassroots up. It is also likely to mark the launch of the ruling party’s campaign for the upcoming local body elections in Telangana.

Review of government performance and challenges: Kharge’s visit will include crucial meetings with the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) and Political Affairs Committee (PAC) at Gandhi Bhavan. During these meetings, he is expected to engage in a detailed review of the Congress government’s performance in Telangana over the past 18 months. This will involve discussions on the implementation of welfare promises and whether they are effectively reaching the public.

The AICC President is also likely to delve into the challenges faced by the government in terms of dealing with financial constraints. Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar has already emphasised the need for coordination between the party and the government to effectively deliver welfare schemes to the people.

Important issues like the caste census, enhancement of reservation for Backward Classes, and implementation of Scheduled Caste categorisation will also be on the agenda. The Telangana Congress leaders are to brief Mallikarjun Kharge on preparations for the panchayat polls, the Jubilee Hills by-election, and the GHMC elections.

The attendees will include CM Revanth, deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, AICC in-charge Meenakshi Natrajan, TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud, state ministers and senior leaders.

Local Body Elections: The Telangana High Court recently directed the government and the State Election Commission to conduct panchayat elections within three months, by September 30. The terms of the panchayats expired on January 31, 2024, and the polls have been delayed by 18 months. The State government and the State Election Commission are expected to finalise the poll schedule after addressing the reservation for Backward Classes. The caste census data is crucial for finalising these reservations and is a politically charged issue, as it can significantly impact governance, affirmative action and social justice policies.