Telangana CLP leader's padayatra to conclude with Rahul's visit to Khammam

Khammam (Telangana) , July 1:  With former Congress President Rahul Gandhi visiting poll-bound Telangana on Sunday, Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka’s padayatra will also conclude on the same day. The over 1,400 km padayatra is an extension of the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Rahul Gandhi will address a 'Jangarjana' public meeting in Khammam on Sunday, besides formally inducting 35 leaders of the ruling Bharath Rashtra Samithi (BRS) into the party, including former state minister Jupally Krishna Rao and ex-MP Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy.

The 35 leaders had earlier this week joined the grand old party in the national capital in the presence of the party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi after meeting them briefly.

Many party leaders feel that besides the work of the state Congress chief A. Revanth Reddy, who has galvanised the party workers ahead of the crucial Assembly elections scheduled at the end of the year, the role of CLP leader Vikramarka also cannot be ignored.

Vikramarka had kicked-of the padayatra on March 16 as part of the party's 'Haath Se Haath Jodo Abhiyan', and has covered almost 1,360 km far on foot in over 105 days. He said that the yatra began from Pipri village in Adilabad district and has traversed across Telangana covering 15 districts, 33 Assembly constituencies and almost 800 villages along the way.

During the yatra, several national and state leaders joined Vikramarka. Two big public meetings were also organised during the yatra, which saw the participation of over one lakh people. Congress President Kharge was the chief guest of the first meeting, while Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu attended the second public meeting.

A Congress leader said that as Reddy is focusing on strengthening the party, Vikramarka during the course of his yatra has connected with several sections of the society which will help the party in the Assembly elections.

The party leader highlighted how Vikramarka during his padayatra visited the Sripada Yellampally project in Mancherial and examined the damaged crops in the Assembly constituencies of Ramagundam, Dharmapuri, Huzurabad, Husnabad, Vardhannapeta. 

The party leader claimed that Vikramarka’s yatra has been successful in highlighting the failures of the BRS government in Telangana and in taking the poll promises of the Congress to the people, which include providing gas cylinder for Rs 500, Rs 5 lakh per household for construction of houses, Rs 2 lakh crop loan waiver for farmers, etc.