CPI's D Raja, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and Punjab's Bhagwant Mann will attend

CPI's D Raja, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and Punjab's Bhagwant Mann will attend

CPI's D Raja, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and Punjab's Bhagwant Mann will attend

In a major event that will see multiple opposition parties lining up together, Telangana's ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) will organise a mega rally at Khammam on Wednesday. The rally will be conducted by BRS president and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR).

Interestingly, the event will see the participation of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav and CPI's D Raja. The Congress reportedly wasn't invited.

According to party sources, KCR and the visiting leaders would go to the Lord Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Yadadri near Hyderabad, which has been renovated on a grand scale by the government, before proceeding to Khammam.

At Khammam, about 200 km from Hyderabad, they would attend the launch of the second phase of 'Kanti Velugu', the Telangana government's eye screening programme, before the rally.

The event is considered a crucial move as it will set the party's agenda after its elevation to a national party a few months ago. The participation of multiple leaders is seen as a show of unity of opposition parties ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

However, KCR has projected the event as a means to project farmers' issues, giving the slogan 'Abki bar Kisan Sarkar.' Stressing the need for new economic, environmental, water, electricity and women empowerment policies in the country, the chief minister said the BRS would also like to show "alternative politics" to the people of the country.

Why Khammam

KCR's choice of venue has become the talk of the town after many believe he chose the border district with a sizeable population from Andhra Pradesh, eyeing to extend his influence beyond the borders. The party had put up a terrible show in the Assembly elections of 2018 in Khammam, winning only one seat from the district while the rest went to Congress, two to TDP, and a lone seat to an independent candidate. 

This time, KCR eyes all 10 seats while fighting tough competition from Telangana YSR party chief YS Sharmila and N Chandrababu Naidu who is looking to rejuvenate TDP in Telangana with Khammam. 

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