CRACKING AT KARIMNAGAR: APCC president K. Keshava Rao discussing a point with Minister for Sports and Culture M. Satyanarayana Rao at a meeting in Hyderabad on Tuesday. — Photo: P.V. Sivakumar

HYDERABAD: The Congress is all set to launch the first phase of its campaign for the byelection to the Karimnagar Lok Sabha seat.

It has asked all Ministers hailing from Telangana to extensively tour the seven Assembly segments before November 2 and highlight the developmental and welfare programmes taken up by the Congress Government.

Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president K. Keshava Rao, who convened a meeting of the party leaders on Tuesday, said the first round of the campaign would commence on October 27 and conclude on November 2.

Ministers M. Satyanarayana Rao, D. Srinivas, Md. Ali Shabbir, Ponnala Lakshmaiah, Md. Fareeduddin, D.S. Redya Naik, Sabitha Indra Reddy, J. Geetha Reddy and G. Vinod besides party leaders from Karimnagar district attended the meeting.

YSR's visit

It was decided that the Ministers and MLAs, who had been entrusted the responsibility for the party's campaign in 29 mandals in the Lok Sabha constituency, should complete the first round of meetings ahead of Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's visit to the district on November 12 to lay the foundation stone for the Mid Manair reservoir works in Sircilla constituency.

Exposing TRS

Party leaders felt that they should expose the Telangana Rashtra Samiti for deceiving the people of the region on the issue of separate Statehood.

Mr. Satyanarayana Rao was quoted as saying that by winning in the byelection the Congress could prove that separate Telangana was possible only under its leadership.

The meeting expressed concern over the erratic power supply to farmers. Energy Minister Md. Ali Shabbir explained that all-out efforts were being made to save standing crops.

If the need arose, the Government would provide supply power for an additional two hours.

He reportedly suggested that the Government's recent decision to waive arrears of payment by the SC and ST households should be prominently highlighted during the campaign.

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