On back foot, Cong to form crucial poll panels shortly in Telangana

HYDERABAD: Despite launching its assembly poll campaign with bus yatra six months ago, Congress has been caught on back foot in terms of constituting campaign and manifesto committees.
While the ruling TRS has launched its election campaign with its star campaigner chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao leading from the front and even T-TDP too constituting its election committees, Congress is running against time.
Even during the 2014 elections, the delay on the part of Congress to take its election manifesto to the people had an adverse impact on its poll prospects. "By the time, the Congress campaigners reached out to voters, the TRS had completed two to three rounds of its manifesto campaign in 2014. This should not happen in 2018," said a senior leader.
Although AICC general secretary in-charge of Telangana Affairs R C Khuntia had said that campaign and manifesto committees of the party would be constituted by August-end, it has not happened. With Congress president Rahul Gandhi going on Mansarovar yatra, Telangana Congress's committee proposals have been left pending.
Firebrand leaders A Revanth Reddy and V Hanumanth Rao were tipped to be given important responsibilities in campaign committees. "AICC secretary V Hanumanth Rao has ordered for an automobile-rath to be remodeled to suit his campaign requirement. While Hanumanth Rao is expected to launch a rath yatra, it is not known how the party will utilize the services of Revanth. But there is a demand to unleash Revanth to launch a rigorous campaign against TRS," said a senior party leader. He added campaign committees are likely to have leaders from SC, ST, BC and minority communities, too, to woo those voters.
A senior Telangana Congress leader said with Rahul Gandhi back from Mansarovar yatra, all the crucial strategy, campaign and manifesto committees will be constituted shortly.