Lok Sabha polls: Rahul Gandhi, Revanth Reddy travel in bus, interact with passengers | Watch
Rahul Gandhi and Telangana CM Revanth Reddy travelling in bus
Ahead of polling on all 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana, scheduled for May 13, ex-Congress chief Rahul Gandhi travelled in a state-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) bus, with party leader and Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy accompanying the Wayanad MP.
The leaders boarded the bus at Dilsukh Nagar in state capital Hyderabad, after addressing a public rally in the IT hub. During the journey, Gandhi interacted with passengers and sought feedback on the grand old party-led Telangana government’s Mahalakshmi free bus travel scheme, rolled out in December last year, just days after the party ousted the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) from office.
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The Congress leaders also distributed brochures about the party’s “Panch Nyay” scheme for the Lok Sabha polls.
The passengers, meanwhile, were seen recording videos of Gandhi and Reddy, and taking selfies with them.
In May last year, ahead of assembly elections in neighbouring Karnataka, another state where the Congress formed government – it replaced the BJP there – travelled in a bus in Bengaluru and interacted with passengers.
The free travel scheme was first announced in Karnataka, and, following its successful implementation there, was promised in Telangana.
Of the 17 Lok Sabha segments in Telangana, nine are currently held by the BRS, while the BJP holds four. The Congress won on three seats, and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi won Hyderabad for the fourth consecutive time.
Meanwhile, on Monday, as many as 96 parliamentary constituencies across 10 states and Union territories will go to polls, with total 1717 candidates in the fray. This will be the fourth leg of the seven-phase general elections, which began on April 19. Voting for the second and third phases was conducted on April 26 and May 3; for the fifth, sixth, and seventh, legs, polling will be held on May 20, 25, and June 1.
The counting of votes is scheduled for June 4.
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