Hyderabad: The first phase of the ‘Janahitha padayatra’ by AICC Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan and TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud will begin on July 31 in Rangareddy district and continue till Aug 4. The yatra was originally scheduled till Aug 6 but was curtailed to allow senior leaders to join chief minister A Revanth Reddy’s BC reservation campaign in Delhi from Aug 5.The decision to revise the yatra plan came after a 90-minute meeting between Meenakshi, Revanth and Mahesh Goud on Wednesday. The second phase of the yatra will resume after their return from the national capital.During the meeting at Revanth’s residence, the leaders also discussed the upcoming Jubilee Hills bypoll, filling up of nominated posts, and strengthening party network ahead of panchayat elections. The list of two recommended candidates from each of the 119 assembly constituencies was submitted to the CM. Nominated posts for various corporations may also be filled before the panchayat poll notification, sources said.A senior Congress leader said, “The padayatra will begin at Parigi and conclude at Khanapur in Adilabad. It will be led by Mahesh Goud with Natarajan as chief guest.”Meanwhile, plans are in place to make the BC reservation movement in Delhi a major event. A special train may be arranged to transport BC leaders and activists to the capital. On Aug 5, Congress and INDIA bloc MPs from Telangana will raise adjournment motions in both Houses of Parliament on the reservation issue. A dharna is planned at Jantar Mantar on Aug 6, followed by a delegation meeting with the President of India on Aug 7.Key BC leaders, including ministers Ponnam Prabhakar, Vakiti Srihari and Konda Surekha, and Mahesh Goud, are expected to reach Delhi early to oversee logistics. The Congress plans to take at least 50 BC leaders from each district.Jubilee Hills bypollWhile 18 corporation chairpersons were assigned to oversee Jubilee Hills bypoll efforts, senior leader Feroz Khan objected to Ponnam’s remark that only a local candidate would be considered. “It’s AICC’s decision,” he said, even suggesting the name of Mohammed Azharuddin, as minority leaders urged TPCC to field a Muslim candidate.
