Former BRS MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy on Sunday joined the Congress party at a public meeting addressed by the party's top leader Rahul Gandhi in Khammam, which also marked the culmination of the 109-day 'padayatra' by Congress Legislature Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka.
Seeking to start campaigning for the Legislative Assembly elections scheduled to be held later this year, Congress made elaborate arrangements to make the rally addressed by Rahul Gandhi a grand success.
AICC incharge of party affairs in Telangana Manikrao Thakre, state Congress president A Revanth Reddy, party MPs N Uttam Kumar Reddy and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and a host of party leaders, besides balladeer Gaddar were present on the occasion.
Showing his affection, the singer hugged and kissed Rahul Gandhi.
The former Congress president felicitated Vikramarka on concluding his marathon foot march.
Speaking on the occasion, Vikramarka said he undertook the 'padayatra' from Adilabad to Khammam to bring back the welfare state of 'Indiramma', referring to the popular name by which late former Prime Minster Indira Gandhi is known in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
He said he wanted to realise the dream of a Telangana of prosperity and without any inequalities.
Vikramarka's 'padayatra' of about 1,360 km began in Adilabad on March 16 and concluded in Khamman today.
Recalling his experiences during the 'padayatra', Vikramarka spoke about jobs for youth, housing for poor, and the mounting debt allegedly to the tune of Rs five lakh crore under the BRS regime, among other issues Srinivas Reddy, who had represented Khammam in the Lok Sabha, said he decided to join the Congress after extensive consultations with various sections of society. Congress alone can bring an end to the anti-people rule of BRS in the state, he said.
During his consultations, he was told that his joining Congress would do good for the people all over the state and for the party, Srinivas Reddy added.
He alleged that about 8,000 farmers had committed suicide in Telangana and that the BRS government has not implemented its promises, including farmers' loan waiver and unemployment dole for youth.
TPCC president and MP A Revanth Reddy said Congress starting campaigning at Khammam rally is a prologue to the party coming to power in the state.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi, who landed at the airport in Vijayawada in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, flew by a chopper to Khammam.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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