KCR to address massive meeting at Jagtial, despite hurdles

Telangana is witnessing a high-stakes political clash as BRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao holds his first major rally in Jagtial after a year, coinciding with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s Kataram event to launch the second phase of Rythu Bharosa.

Hyderabad: Telangana is set for a high-voltage political face-off on Monday, with BRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao addressing a massive public meeting after a gap of around a year. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is also gearing up to attend a public meeting at Kataram where he will launch the second phase of Rythu Bharosa financial assistance disbursement.

The BRS public meeting scheduled to be held at Vivekananda Mini Stadium in Jagtial, will mark Chandrashekhar Rao’s first major appearance after nearly a year. The event is also being widely considered as an effort to strengthen the BRS by reviving the morale of the party cadre and testing public sentiment after the party’s defeat in 2023.

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The meeting gains further significance with senior Congress leader T Jeevan Reddy joining the BRS in the presence of Chandrashekhar Rao, signalling the beginning of a possible political realignment in North Telangana, a region where the BRS has traditionally held strong ground.

BRS sources said after a year of silence, Chandrashekhar Rao’s address is expected to set the tone for the opposition, energise the cadre, and reclaim political space. Whether he targets the State government, the Centre, or both, will be closely watched.

On the same day, Revanth Reddy will address a gathering in Kataram, where he will release Rs 2,063 crore under the Rythu Bharosa scheme to 45 lakh farmers. The Congress government is also using the day to sharpen its attack on the BRS. The Chief Minister’s visit to Medigadda barrage, which is part of the Kaleshwaram project, is expected to focus on alleged irregularities and project failures during the previous regime.

However, the BRS is questioning the timing of the Chief Minister’s visit after putting the repair works on the backburner for more than two years. BRS leaders, including party working president KT Rama Rao, alleged that it was a clear attempt to blunt the impact of Chandrashekhar Rao’s public meeting by shifting focus to direct benefit transfers and governance.

The BRS leaders stated that the urgency with which the Chief Minister’s visit to Medigadda barrage followed by a public meeting, indicated the Congress government’s desperation and also the political weight Chandrashekhar Rao carried in the State. They asserted that the Jagtial meeting will mark the beginning of a political resurgence. Notwithstanding the hurdles, the party leaders reiterated that all arrangements have been made for safe arrival and return of about one lakh people.

Meanwhile, the BRS is making massive arrangements for the public meeting which is scheduled to commence at 5 pm, to ensure that people do not face any inconvenience due to scorching temperatures. Over three lakh water bottles and two lakh buttermilk packets, apart from arrangements, have been made for water at major junctions in Jagtial en route to the venue.

Jagtial has been decked up with pink flags and banners apart from cut-outs at major junctions and roads leading to the meeting venue. The party leaders raised concerns that the Congress might misuse power to remove decorations ahead of the meeting. Apart from the party cadre, a large number of farmers and youth are expected to participate in the meeting from Jagtial and surrounding Assembly constituencies.