Hyderabad:
All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Telangana R C Khuntia on Thursday claimed that the ruling TRS feared defeat in the October 21 bypoll to Huzurnagar assembly constituency and sought support from left parties.
Exuding confidence that Congress candidate N Padmavati Reddy would comfortably win the seat, he said all senior Congress leaders have ‘unanimously’ resolved to work for her victory.
Khuntia said the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS)-led government, which has full majority lured Congress MLAs and made some of them ministers.
“They (TRS) are so scared of the defeat. Even during Lok Sabha polls they used to claim that they will win all (16 contesting) seats, but lost in seven…
They are afraid and that’s why they are knocking the doors of CPI, CPI (M) and other parties, seeking their support which is a clear indication that TRS is afraid of losing the Huzurnagar byelection,” Khuntia told reporters here.
He claimed that TRS would definitely lose and Congress candidate Padmavati will emerge victorious.
The Huzurnagar bypoll is set to witness a multi-cornered fight as candidates of all major parties, including TRS, the Congress, the TDP and BJP, have entered the fray.
The bypoll was necessitated by the resignation of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee President (TPCC) N Uttam Kumar Reddy following his election to Lok Sabha.
The Congress has fielded Uttam Kumar Reddy’s wife N Padmavati Reddy, a former MLA, in the bypoll, while TRS has re-nominated S Saidi Reddy, who lost to Uttam Kumar Reddy in the 2018 Assembly polls.
“We are firm and confident the way Uttam Kumar Reddy won this seat in 2018 Assembly election and in the upcoming election also Congress candidate Padmavati Reddy will win,” Khuntia said.
The Telangana Jana Samiti has announced its support for Congress, he added.
On the announcement of support to TRS by CPI in Huzurnagar bypoll, he said, “We do not know why CPI is supporting TRS.
At the national level they are with us. It will not have much impact. We are very confident that whether any party supports Congress or not, the party will succeed and Padmavati Reddy will definitely win the elections.
That (has been the seat of) PCC President and in all elections we have won(previously). I think we can comfortably win it.”
The CPI bitterly fought the TRS in alliance with Congress and TDP in the December 2018 Assembly polls.
