TRS to kick start Munugode bypoll campaign with public meeting on Aug. 25

Hyderabad: The TRS is all set to start its campaign for the Munugode Assembly constituency byelection with a public meeting on August 25.

While the Congress has held a meeting in Chanduru in the constituency last week, the BJP has scheduled one on August 21, which will be attended by union home minister Amit Shah.

The TRS expected to declare its candidate after the August 25 public meeting.

Party sources said it is not clear whether party president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao will address this meeting. However, he will be addressing meeting in a couple of districts, and they could be aimed at the Munugode.

Sources expect party working president K.T.Rama Rao and energy minister G. Jagadish Reddy, party incharge minister for Nalgonda district, to head the show.

For now, the TRS is adopting a low profile when compared with the BJP and Congress. The TRS leadership in Nalgonda district is quietly undertaking ‘Operation Akarsh' by luring local constituency leaders and cadre of the BJP and the Congress into its fold.

Incharges have been appointed for each village and mandal to lure Opposition sarpanches, ward members in gram panchayats, MPTCs, ZPTCs into the TRS.

Party sources said the TRS is stronger in Munugode with a majority of the sarpanches, MPTCs and ZPTCs on its side.

For this reasons, the party leadership has decided to wait until BJP holds its public meeting and then mobilize more people to put up a bigger show.

Meanwhile, the CM will embark on district tours from August 14 and address public meetings. He will visit Vikarabad on August 14 to inaugurate the integrated collectorate complex and party's district office.

The CM will also meet warring factions in the party in Vikarabad and try to sort out matters. The party has been virtually split into two groups in Vikarabad by the political rivalry between Vikarabad MLA Pilot Rohit Reddy and MLC Patnam Mahender Reddy.

The CM will later visit the Medchal-Malkajgiri district to inaugurate the integrated collectorate complex and district office and address a public meeting later.

Party circles believe that the CM's public meetings will highlight the achievements of eight years of the TRS government and will indirectly contribute to the campaign for Munugode.