Sameer Waliullah, the president of Hyderabad District Congress Committee (DCC), announced that the Congress party will soon begin its campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the Hyderabad Parliamentary constituency.
During a meeting on Tuesday, Chief Minister and PCC president A Revanth Reddy stated that the Congress party aims to win all 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana. Sameer Waliullah, in a media statement on Wednesday, confirmed that the Congress party is determined to secure victories in all seats, including Hyderabad.
Sameer Waliullah highlighted the strong position of the Congress party in Hyderabad and expressed confidence in winning the seat with a substantial majority. He mentioned the overwhelming response to the Congress party in the Old City of Hyderabad during the recent Assembly elections, where the party received over 93,000 votes in the constituencies within the Hyderabad Parliamentary constituency. He also pointed out a significant increase in the Congress vote share compared to previous elections.
He further mentioned specific examples of the increased vote share in Chandrayangutta, Charminar, and Malakpet constituencies. In Chandrayangutta, the vote share increased from 3.80% in 2014 to 9.49% in 2023. Similar increases were observed in Charminar (5.10% to 11.11%) and Malakpet (6.70% to 22.50%).
Sameer Waliullah expressed confidence that the Congress party would win the seat from the MIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) with the support of the Congress Government in Telangana. He criticized AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi for neglecting the issues of the Old City and failing to secure funds or major projects for its development.
He mentioned that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has already taken steps towards developing Hyderabad, including initiating a review meeting for fast-tracking the development of the Old City. The Musi River development project and the change in Metro Rail routes to pass through the Old City are some of the initiatives planned for its growth. Sameer Waliullah assured that the Congress Government would prioritize the development of all sections of society in the Old City.
He condemned the MIM for creating a false impression that only minorities live in Hyderabad, stating that the minority population is only 59.15%, and the remaining 40% belong to other religions. He attributed the neglect of the Old City to the communal approach of MIM in previous regimes. He mentioned the high number of applications received for PrajaPalana, particularly from the Charminar zone, which reflects the level of poverty and deprivation among the people of Hyderabad. However, he expressed confidence that the situation would change after Congress wins the seat in the coming Lok Sabha elections.
Sameer Waliullah confirmed his interest in contesting for the Hyderabad seat and expressed faith in the party’s selection process. He also mentioned an upcoming meeting with leaders of all Assembly constituencies to finalize the campaign strategy.
