Sonia to address rally in Telangana today, can she boost Congress?

Hyderabad, April 16:

president

will address a

in

on Wednesday, the first time since the statehood bill was passed in the Parliament in February, carving out the new state from the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.

It is also five years since she committed to a separate Telangana at the Ambedkar Stadium in Karimnagar, where she will address the rally on Wednesday. Local Congress leaders feel the party chief's rally will help boost the morale of the workers ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the state.

Security has been beefed up at the venue ahead of the rally.

The Congress has been hit by TRS's U-turn and exit of several leaders

The Congress's poll prospects look bleak in these parts of the country, as a series of pre-poll surveys have shown. Whereas in 2004 and 2009, the success in Andhra Pradesh had helped the Congress to form the government at the Centre.

The Congress's hopes were also dashed after the Telangana Rashtra Samiti made a U-turn at the last moment by deciding not to merge with the former despite the Telangana move and also the exit of several leaders from the party over the controversy hit the party hard. The pre-poll alliance between the BJP and TDP is also a concern for the party in Andhra.

Will Sonia Gandhi be able to turn the tide?

Oneindia News