On an election year both the Centre and the state government are once again vying with each other to celebrate Telangana’s Tenth Formation Day tomorrow organising separate programmes.

Last year too, the BRS-led state government and the BJP-led Central government similarly tried to outdo each other by announcing separate programmes to mark the joining of the State of Hyderabad to the Indian Union.

This time around, while Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao announced that the state government will mark the occasion with 21-day-long celebrations, the Centre declared that it would celebrate the Formation Day of the state at the Golconda Fort on 2 June. Telangana attained statehood on 2 June, 2014.

The Golconda Fort, which had witnessed the rise and fall of several empires, has been chosen as the venue for the Centre’s programme. The celebrations are being held under the Ministry of Culture headed by minister G Kishan Reddy. Today, the Union minister visited Golconda Fort to review the preparations for the tenth Formation Day event. He was accompanied by several BJP leaders including Marri Sashidhar Reddy.

“This celebration is part of the Narendra Modi Government’s efforts to commemorate the legacy of the martyrs who were part of the statehood movement and celebrate the rich culture of Telangana,” said Reddy.

The two-day celebrations at the Golconda Fort are being held under the Centre’s ongoing programme “Qila Aur Kahaniya” (Fort and Stories) and will be initiated with the Union Minister for Culture hoisting the tricolour at 6:30 am followed a ceremonial protocol by central paramilitary forces while in the evening there will cultural performances. Entry at the venue would be free for the public.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will initiate the 21-day long celebrations at the newly constructed BR Ambedkar secretariat and would be celebrated across the state. The BRS Government is also showcasing its own achievements during the 21 day celebrations with each day dedicated to each sector in which the state has made considerable progress in past nine years.