Hyderabad : In a significant announcement, YS Sharmila, the leader of the YSR Telangana Party, confirmed on Thursday that her party will field candidates in all 119 constituencies in the upcoming Assembly election. This decision marks the end of speculation regarding a potential alliance with the Congress to consolidate votes against the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi.

Sharmila expressed that she had waited for four months for a potential alliance with the Congress and stated, “Now no one can blame us for splitting the anti-KCR (Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao) vote. We tried our best.” She also revealed her intention to contest from the Palair constituency and potentially from another location.

Furthermore, Sharmila, who is the sister of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, shared that there has been a demand for her mother, YS Vijayalakshmi, and her husband, Anil Kumar, to contest in the election. She emphasized that if necessary, they are prepared to participate. She noted her mother’s commitment to support her, which was made when Sharmila launched her party.

Notably, Sharmila had previously conveyed that a “final decision” regarding an alliance with the Congress would be made by the end of September. The party’s latest statement confirms that, in the absence of an alliance, they will contest all 119 constituencies.

Sharmila had met with Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the previous month, characterizing the discussions as “constructive” and issuing a warning to KCR about the impending electoral challenge.

Hyderabad : In a scathing response to recent remarks by MIM leaders Asaduddin Owaisi and Akbaruddin Owaisi, the Congress party has issued a strong condemnation. The statements by the Owaisi brothers, directed at Congress stalwarts Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Revanth Reddy, have sparked a heated political exchange in the run-up to the upcoming elections.

TPCC Minorities Department Chairman Shaik Abdullah Sohail, during a media briefing on Thursday, accused the Owaisi brothers of employing diversion tactics to divert attention from their own electoral shortcomings.

Sohail highlighted the propensity of the Owaisi brothers to become increasingly vocal during the election season, while simultaneously overlooking critical developmental issues in the Old City. He alleged that the MIM, with a track record of “zero development and nil performance,” has returned to solicit votes amidst a backdrop of unfulfilled promises.

Sohail specifically questioned the progress of the Old City Metro Rail project, previously hyped by the BRS and MIM following the last Telangana Assembly session. He emphasized that no tangible progress has been made, not even the laying of the project’s foundation stone. To illustrate his point, Sohail mentioned the inauguration of an IT Tower in Malakpet by IT Minister K. Tarakarama Rao, likening it to a series of similar symbolic gestures that had little tangible impact on Old City’s development. He accused MIM leaders of resorting to irresponsible statements against Congress leaders to evade scrutiny and criticism from the public, fearing a backlash in the forthcoming elections.

Abdullah Sohail further contended that neither Asaduddin Owaisi nor Akbaruddin Owaisi had the moral authority to criticize Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, or Revanth Reddy. He accused MIM of prioritizing mercenary interests and serving as a purported agent of the Sangh Parivar, a claim underpinned by their alleged strategy to field candidates that divide Muslim votes, potentially benefiting the BJP in elections. Sohail also accused MIM of resorting to blackmailing major parties and candidates by threatening to field contestants and disrupt vote shares, thus undermining the democratic process. Sohail concluded that the Owaisi brothers viewed elections as an opportunity to amass wealth rather than a moment for introspection and accountability to the electorate.

In a resolute defense of Revanth Reddy, Abdullah Sohail affirmed that the accusations of him being a BJP agent were baseless. He contended that it was, in fact, the MIM that acted as a conduit for the BJP and RSS, nurturing ideologies of hatred and communal discord.

Abdullah Sohail predicted that the Owaisi brothers would face a formidable challenge in the upcoming elections. He underscored the Congress party’s commitment to ushering in positive change in Telangana, particularly in the Old City of Hyderabad, despite the vitriolic rhetoric emanating from the MIM camp.

Hyderabad : Three lives were tragically lost in two separate road accidents that occurred in Medchal on Wednesday, leaving the community in shock and grief.

In the first incident, a collision between a four-wheeler and a two-wheeler on the Medchal checkpost to Kistapur road resulted in the death of two individuals who were traveling on the bike.

In a separate, yet equally devastating incident, a bicyclist lost his life after being struck by a tipper lorry in the Medchal industrial area.

The local authorities responded swiftly, registering two distinct cases and launching investigations into the circumstances surrounding these tragic events.

The bodies of the deceased have been transferred to Gandhi Hospital, as the community awaits further details and updates on these distressing accidents.

As the investigations continue, our thoughts are with the families affected by these heartbreaking incidents.