Has BRS made self-goal on Congress meeting at Khammam?

• Creating obstacles to the vehicles of Congress by police gives wrong impression
• BRS leaders’ efforts to show the Congress meeting as flop not received well
• Analysts surprised over the attendance of people one hour before the meeting started
• It is a surprising that around 2 lakh people rushed to meeting place in two hours
• Another 50,000 reached the ground
• It is time for the Congress workers to show their strength

Place–Khammam — July 2—Time–3.00 PM – – There were only 15,000 people in the public meeting ground in Khammam. Many of the Congress leaders except Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy were in doubts of the public gathering amidst news that police and RTA officials are creating hurdles to the vehicles proceeding to Khammam. Even political analysts too had their doubts on the arrival of impressive crowd at the meeting. BRS leaders started issuing statements calling the Congress meeting as ‘Utter Flop’.

8 am– The people of faraway places like Bhadrachalam, Aswaraopet started coming to the meeting by boarding lorries and other modes of transport. Local Congress leaders are monitoring the vehicles.

9am – -Scores of RTA officials and police rushed to the roads and started stopping the vehicles carrying Congress sympathisers. The vehicles were forcibly stranded by asking documents of the vehicles.

10 am —  Thousands of vehicles including autos were stranded at various places in Bhadrachalam, Pinapaka, Yellandu, Aswaraopet, Kothagudem, Sattupalli, Wyra, Madhira and Palair assembly constituencies.

11 am: The news that police and RTA stopping Congress vehicles spread to nook and corner of Telangana. Electronic media channels aired the news about it. Congress leaders issued statements condemning the police and RTA high-handedness.

12 noon—Former union minister Renuka Chowdary thrashed the barricades of a road set up by police and given a warning to police to stop such acts. Her act had given a boost to the Congress cadre and the workers started arguments with the police and RTA officials on stopping the vehicles even though they showed valid documents.

1.00 pm – -TPCC president A Revanth Reddy and former MP Madhu Yaski called to the Telangana DGP and explained the police over action. They warned that Congress should not be blamed in case untoward incidents occurred. Former MP V Hanumantha Rao created halchal at Khammam rural police station on seizing of Congress vehicles. He argued with the police vehemently.

2 pm – Thousands of vehicles started moving between Wyra and Public meeting place. Number of vehicles coming from Bhadrachalam, Aswaraopet, Sattupalli and Yellandu moved to their destination. Khammam police commissioner stated that the police are not creating hurdles to the Congress vehicles. At one stage, Congress leaders planned to remove police barricades on all sides.

4pm – People started coming to the ground by raising slogans in favour of Congress. The crowd was one lakh strong at 4 pm. Congress leaders are gaining confidence on success of the meeting. The cadre and people keep walking from their parking points on Dornakal road, Kodad Road, Yellandu Road, Sattupalli road, Bonakal Road and Hyderabad road. About one lakh people were seen walking to the ground at that time from different corners.

5.00 pm—The gathering was around 1.5 lakh and all the main leaders reached to the dais and waiting for Rahul Gandhi’s arrival. The faces of the Congress leaders have glown after noticing the people still coming to the meeting place.

6-00 pm – – Rahul Gandhi came to the ground and the Congress workers surrounded him. Police made a mild lathi-charge to distance the crowd. The crowd in the ground was 2 lakh at the time of Rahul’s speech. Another 50,000 were stranded at the roads and they were unable to reach the meeting place.

Political Analysts comments—

Congress workers, who maintained silence for the last four years, showed their enthusiasm. Many wanted to see Rahul and Srinivasa Reddy leadership helped it. – K Srinivas, Analyst.

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BRS made self-goal by trying to describe the meeting as a flop. The crowd is nearly 3.5 lakh and the workers came to the meeting on cycles and two-wheelers. CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka was received well by Rahul Gandhi. About 30,000 people came from Khammam town and Raghunathapalem mandal. – Javed Mahammad, president, Congress Khammam Town Committee.

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Congress was given a boost with the Khammam meeting. The people of Telangana started talking about it. The proactive role of AICC started paying dividends. Clubbing the two events in one meeting – conclusion of Bhatti’ People’s march and Ponguleti Joining the Congress- was a good decision. – – K. Ramnarayan, senior journalist.

(eom)