T Bhaskar
“Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is our main asset in these Lok Sabha elections. He is young, dynamic and hard working too. His grit and perseverance to achieve goals will fetch us good results,” said B Mahesh Kumar Goud, MLC and Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) Working President (Organization). Revanth also is Telangana PCC president.
Mahesh Goud, in an exclusive interview to Excel India magazine expressed confidence that Congress would a majority of the total 17 LS seats in Telangana. When asked to put a number, he said as of now (a week before polls), Congress is comfortably placed in 10-12 seats and this figure may go up by another two seats by May 13, the polling day.
58 year old Mahesh, who began his political career as NSU I, (Congress students’ wing), activist, rose in ranks and became its combined AP president in 1990s. He contested from Dichpally assembly seat,from Nizamabad district in 1994 and later held many organizational and nominated posts. Goud is one of the trusted members of CM Revanth’s team.
On the leadership qualities of CM Revanth, Mahesh Goud said: “Though the CM appears from outside to be a tough and rigid person, he is very flexible and adjusting type. That is a reason why as PCC working president in charge of organizational matter I could successfully discharge my duties in coordination of 15-20 senior leaders in the party during assembly elections”.
Goud added that Revanth has the full support of the Gandhi family which plays a key role in the affairs of Congress party at the national level. Asked about how many seats BJP can win in Telangana, Mahesh said: “They may not win more than 2 or 3, but their graph is fast falling down, due to doubts over people’s mind on the party’s plans to change the constitution and remove reservations”.
Triangular contests help Congress
On BRS prospects and former CM KCR’s efforts to revive the party in LS polls, Mahesh Goud opined that any revival of BRS at this stage would only benefit Congress. “Because, revival of BRS would lead to triangular contests in most seats that would be beneficial to us,” said he. However, BRS is unlikely to win any seats for itself, he added.
Mahesh Goud felt CM Revanth would fulfill his promise to implement the waiver of farmers’ debt by August 15 at any cost. “Not only farmers’ debt relief, this government of Congress is committed to implement all the 6 guarantees made to people at the time of assembly elections. We will implement all welfare schemes without any compromise,” he said.
Mahesh Goud felt that the Congress promise of caste census at the national level has caught the imagination of people, especially the backward castes in the country as well as in Telangana. This will help the party to win a good number of MP seats in the current parliamentary elections. That will help Rahul Gandhi become the PM soon,” said Mahesh Goud.
