Taking a leaf out of BJP’s book, the Congress is not only holding a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Hyderabad to boost its prospects in the upcoming Assembly elections in Telangana it has also sought to derail the saffron party’s Hyderabad Liberation Day on 17 September with a mega rally in the state capital.

The grand old party is planning to declare the five guarantees on the lines of Karnataka.

The BJP has already shifted its programme to mark the Hyderabad Liberation Day to Warangal this year. Last year, in a bid to kickstart its Mission Telangana, the party had held its National Executive Committee meeting in Hyderabad on 2 July which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other top leaders of the party.

On 3 July, the prime minister addressed a mega rally named Vijay Sankalp Sabha to initiate the preparations for the Assembly elections in the state. It also started the groundwork as NEC members and Union ministers were asked to reach Telangana early and fan out in the districts in order to spend 48 hours in each of the 119 constituencies.

They met prominent personalities and community heads in each constituency to familiarise them with the programmes of the central government. However, after the BJP lost Karnataka, the party lost steam in neighbouring Telangana as well.

The INC seems to have taken a cue from BJP’s unmatched electoral juggernaut. The first meeting of the newly-constituted CWC will be held in Hyderabad on 16 September to be attended by party President Mallikarjun Kharge and former presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

On 17 September, there will be an extended CWC meeting with all pradesh congress committee chiefs and Congress Legislature Party leaders.

Subsequently, to derail the BJP’s attempt to polarise the voters on the Telangana National Integration Day, the Congress will hold a mega rally near Hyderabad where the five guarantees will be announced for the assembly elections.

Kharge will also flag off the cavalcade for all CWC members, invitees, and CLP leaders to fan out to the 119 assembly constituencies. They will hold workers’ meetings and conduct door-to-door distribution of a charge sheet against the BRS government prepared by the party. They will also interact with local influencers The event will culminate with a march to a prominent statue of Mahatma Gandhi, BR Ambedkar or Komaram Bheem in these constituencies.

However, despite all attempts by the party high command, the Telangana unit continues to witness infighting. Posters appeared against Congress Campaign Committee chairman Madhu Yakshi Goud reading “no to parachute leaders” and “Go back to Nizamabad” at party headquarters since he is tipped to contest from LB Nagar constituencies.