‘Loud and clear message to BJP’: Opposition bigwigs in tow, KCR gears up for Khammam mega rally

In the morning, the Telangana CM accompanied Arvind Kejriwal, Pinarayi Vijayan, Bhagwant Mann, Akhilesh Yadav, and D Raja to a temple in Yadagirigutta. They will fly to the rally venue in helicopters before the meeting begins at 5 pm.

Written by Sreenivas Janyala

Khammam | Updated: January 18, 2023 01:24 PM IST

3 min read

brs rally, kcr, arvind kejriwal, bhagwant mann, pinarayi vijayan, opposition vs bjp

Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao with Arvind Kejriwal, Pinarayi Vijayan, Bhagwant Mann, Akhilesh Yadav, and D Raja at Pragathi Bhavan in Hyderabad on Wednesday. (Express Photo)

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Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao is all set to address a massive public meeting at Khammam on Wednesday evening. The meeting, scheduled to begin at 5 pm, will also be attended by national Opposition heavyweights, sending out a message to the BJP.

All roads leading to Khammam are choked with traffic as thousands of vehicles with supporters of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) proceed to the venue. This is the first mega public rally of the CM, popularly known as KCR, since his party changed its name from the Telangana Rashtra Samithi.

Before arriving in Khammam, KCR and the top Opposition leaders visited the Yadagirigutta in two helicopters to offer prayers at a temple. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav, CPI national general secretary D. Raja, state ministers Vemula Prashanth Reddy and Talasani Srinivas Yadav, MP Joginapally Santosh Kumar, and MLC K Kavitha were also present. KCR and the Opposition leaders will fly to Khammam from Yadadri in two choppers.

The public meeting has been billed as a massive show of strength and a precursor to the formation of an anti-BJP alliance ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Telangana, where the BJP is trying to establish itself as an alternative to the BRS, will go to polls later this year.

State minister T Harish Rao said BRS and the other party leaders would send a “loud and clear message to the BJP” that they were ready to face it and throw a challenge. “The entire BRS leadership including state and district level leaders will attend the meeting. At least five lakh people are expected to attend. It will surpass the meeting held at Karimnagar in 2001 when the TRS was launched,” said the minister.

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For the meeting, BRS leaders have mobilised cadre from the 10 Assembly constituencies of the former Khammam district and four other nearby districts.

At the rally, KCR will outline his national vision for his party and announce farmer-friendly policies. Several leaders of farmer unions and associations will attend the meeting.

BRS leaders said the transformation of the TRS to the BRS was drawing attention and response from all corners of the country as an alternative political force under the leadership of KCR.

Sreenivas Janyala

Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance. Expertise and Experience Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues: High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy. Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules. Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes. Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak. Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read More

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Arvind Kejriwal K Chandrasekhar Rao Political Pulse telangana