Hyderabad: Telangana Congress Janahit Padayatra entered Nizamabad district on Saturday, with TPCC president Bommma Mahesh Kumar Goud accusing the BJP of exploiting religion to win elections. “Do they pray daily or only before asking for votes?” he said. “We begin with puja. They bring God only when polling nears.”
Goud targets BJP, BRS, and Kavitha in Nizamabad address
The padayatra, which began two days earlier, moved from Armur’s Aluru bypass to Perikitt. Senior Congress leaders, including AICC in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan, joined the walk. According to the party, the aim was to engage rural voters and document public grievances.
During his address, Goud launched a frontal attack on the previous BRS regime. He accused former CM KCR of plunging Telangana into debt. “Ten years in power, and people with low incomes are still waiting for fine rice. Where was it ever distributed?” he asked. In contrast, he claimed Congress was implementing its promises without delay. “When we commit, we implement.”
He argued that both KCR and KTR were struggling to accept defeat. “They’ve lost power and now, sleep,” he said. On the Banakacharla project, he placed full responsibility on KCR. “This is his legacy. He handed over Telangana’s rights.”
Goud said BRS MLAs had spent a decade misleading people and evading accountability. To counter that history, he promised a new agriculture college at Telangana University and pledged to revive the dormant Lakkampalli SEZ.
He also targeted BRS MLC K. Kavitha. “Which party is she in now? Let her say it,” he said. He criticised her for opposing Congress’s BC ordinance while staying silent during its drafting. “She had no opinion from jail but now she does.”
Supporting Rahul Gandhi’s push for population-based quotas, Goud said, “Demographics must shape democracy.” He also proposed a temples corridor linking Jagtial, Vemulawada, and Nizamabad.
Natarajan: Padayatra carries forward Rahul Gandhi’s agenda
AICC leader Meenakshi Natarajan said the Telangana Congress Janahit Padayatra followed Rahul Gandhi’s directive from two years ago. She called it an extension of Bharat Jodo Yatra and said the Telangana model of caste inclusion had national relevance.
She announced plans for a nationwide protest demanding 42% reservation for BCs. She also credited Sonia Gandhi’s statehood decision to the sacrifices made by Telangana’s youth. Meanwhile, she alleged the BJP had deleted 65 lakh votes in Bihar “out of fear of defeat.”
“There are two roads ahead Congress unites, BJP divides,” she said. Voters, she added, must guard against manipulation. She insisted that only Congress could secure Telangana’s welfare system.
Seethakka: Congress delivers, others distract
Minister Seethakka praised the Congress record on welfare. “Congress fills stomachs. Others fill speeches,” she said. She held BJP and BRS jointly responsible for stalling the BC reservation bill one in Delhi, the other in Hyderabad.
She listed visible outcomes under Congress: interest-free loans to women, Indiramma housing, and paddy bonuses. On the other hand, she said BJP states failed to deliver even a ₹500 gas subsidy. “Check any kitchen people know the difference,” she said.
The Telangana Congress Janahit Padayatra will continue through various mandals in Nizamabad, with MLAs, block-level leaders, and district coordinators joining the march in rotation.
