Hyderabad: Union home minister Amit Shah will participate in a BJP Telangana padayatra in Hyderabad on Nov 2, marking his first visit to the state since May 2024, after several proposed trips were deferred or cancelled. BJP plans to step up its campaign against Congress over the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
It comes a day after Congress and other Opposition leaders are scheduled to hold a rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on Nov 1, alleging irregularities in electoral roll revision and demanding the removal of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The Telangana programme, announced by BJP Telangana president N Ramchander Rao on Monday, would be held under the slogan ‘Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao (Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy)’.
After Hyderabad, Shah is scheduled to participate in a padayatra in Karnal (Haryana) on Nov 5. Rao has accused Congress of spreading misinformation about SIR and challenged chief minister A Revanth Reddy to identify eligible voters whose names were wrongly deleted. He also criticised Congress leaders for planning to attend the Delhi rally while Telangana faces rainfall deficits and water shortages. The consecutive programmes underline BJP’s plan to counter the Congress campaign through coordinated public mobilisation.