Mission Delhi: Hyderabad metro rail, local body elections are on the priority list of CM Revanth Reddy

Hyderabad: Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has embarked on a `Mission Delhi’ to secure funds for the Hyderabad Metro Rail project and finalize the list of Congressmen for local body elections in Telangana.

Congressmen to be given priority

Telangana Congress workers and leaders, who have been with the party for the last 20 years, will be given priority in the government-nominated posts and the party posts, sources said.

“Google forms were filled out last month by all the workers with their details and the time since when they have been working for the party,” a source said. “This exercise has been done to ensure that those who were with the Congress party will be given the position.”

Over 2000 director posts and 25 chairman posts are to be filled

At the same time, the nominations for the local body polls will also be of only those who have been associated with the Congress party and not gone to any other party.

A senior Congressman explained, “There was a lot of acrimony as the leaders from other parties were taken into the Congress fold. Those who came from other parties are clamoring for posts. But it has been made amply clear that only those who were with Congress will be given the positions and also the opportunity.”

The party held threadbare discussions to formulate a strategy for the local body elections in Telangana, sources said.

“Revanth Reddy has given his inputs. There is discussion within the party how to showcase the work done by the government,” sources said.

Jubilee Hills by-election

There are many contenders in the Congress party for the Jubilee Hills seat. This seat fell vacant after the death of Bharat Rashtra Samithi MLA Maganti Gopinath.

Jubilee Hills election is touted to be a high-stakes battle where a party or a candidate is ready to spend more than Rs 50 crore.

Names of Mohammed Azharuddin, Nampally leader Feroze Khan, All India Professional Congress president from Secunderabad, Irfan Aziz, Dr Rohin Reddy, Naveen Yadav, and Vijaya Reddy are making rounds for the seat.

A senior Congressman said, “All the Congressmen have been asked not to give statements about the bye-election. They have been asked to show their mettle on the ground. This seat is also under discussion as this will reflect the position of the Congress party in Hyderabad.”

Government discussion

CM Revanth Reddy has sought time to discuss the funding for Hyderabad Metro Rail. The detailed project report has already been submitted to the central government.

This project is in partnership with the central government and the funds are required to start the work.

The total estimated cost of the project is RS 24,269 crores as submitted to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on November 4th, 2024.

A senior Congressman said, “The funds are required to showcase the work that the Congress party is doing in Hyderabad. For that reason, the metro rail project in phase 2 must start. The CM visit is to meet the ministers to sanction the funds for the project.”

Apart from that the meetings are also to be held for Defence and Railway lands in Telangana.

These meetings are significant as they will pave the road ahead for the Congress party in the state.