Telangana - CM Revanth Reddy Irks Congress Oldtimers, Under Pressure To Win

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who doubles as Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President, is on trial. Reddy raised the pitch when he set a target of winning 14 of the 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana. Now, unless he delivers a decisive victory for the Congress, Reddy’s leadership will become vulnerable.

There is an undercurrent of resentment among the senior party leaders, against the CM. The reason is obvious. Reddy has managed to overtake them and catapult himself into a position of power. This has resulted in heartburn for the senior party leaders. However, though unhappy, they are helpless, as the Congress high command has rallied behind Reddy.

Starting his political career with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) , the student organisation affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Reddy flourished in the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). He rose to the post of working president.

After the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, and creation of Telangana, the TDP faded away in Telangana region, forcing Reddy to look for other options. He joined the Congress in 2017.

Initially appointed TPCC Working President, he was named TPCC President in 2021, ahead of the Telangana Assembly elections in 2023.

Reddy did manage to dramatically alter the fortunes of the Congress by bringing the party to power in the state, after a decade in political wilderness. Since then, there has been no looking back for him.

The Congress leadership chose to give him a free hand in the Lok Sabha elections, as well, in order to raise its seats tally. In 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress was pushed to the third position, winning three seats, against the four seats won by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and nine seats won by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

Reddy managed to get party tickets for those he had handpicked to contest the Lok Sabha elections. This sparked discontent among party seniors, many of whom had been denied the party tickets to contest elections.

Now, Revanth Reddy has to deliver victory in at least 10 to 12 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana, in order to further consolidate his position. If he fails to do so, he could face a serious political challenge, soon after the conclusion of the Lok Sabha elections.

On the other hand, if he manages to deliver victory, then he could emerge as the undisputed leader, both in the party and in the government.

The Congress high command is also mounting pressure on Revanth Reddy to deliver. In fact, during a recent visit to Hyderabad, AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K. C. Venugopal held confabulations with CM Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu and other Ministers.

Venugopal set “Mission 15”, the target of winning 15 out of 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana. Among his other directives to the ministers incharge of their respective Lok Sabha constituencies, is to stay put till the campaigning ends on May 11, ahead of the polling on May 13.

Venugopal told them to make night-halts in the constituencies, instead of rushing back to Hyderabad. As a result, senior ministers are slogging it out in the constituencies under their respective charge.

Alongwith entrusting the responsibility, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has also been given a free hand. He got to pick and choose candidates for the Lok Sabha elections.

Meanwhile, G. Ranjit Reddy, Khairatabad MLA Danam Naagender and Sunita Mahender Reddy, Neelam Madhu Mudiraj, Dr Kadiyam Kavya and Kadiyam Srihari joined the Congress.

The party gave Lok Sabha tickets to Ranjit from Chevella, Danam from Secunderabad, Sunita from Malkajgiri, Neelam from Medak, and Kavya from Warangal.

The scale on which turncoats got party tickets has set tongues wagging in the Congress. But senior leaders are helpless, because the Congress high command trusts Revanth to repeat the success story of the Assembly elections in the Parliamentary elections, as well.

According to an internal assessment of the Congress, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) influence is waning and the BJP is ineffective south of Vindhyas. This gives Revanth space to rework the miracle that brought the Congress to power in the last Assembly elections in Telangana.

The three most difficult seats are Khammam, Karimnagar and Hyderabad. Names of candidates were delayed till the last day of the Nominations on April 25.

Khammam seat was sought by Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu's wife Nandini, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy's brother Ponguleti Prasad Reddy, and former PCC President V. Hanumantha Rao.

Renuka Chowdhury, Congress’ MP in Rajya Sabha, reportedly persuaded the Congress high command to navigate through the minefield by giving the ticket to Ramsahayam Raghuram Reddy. He is the son of Ramsahayam Surender Reddy, the three-time MP from Warangal.

In Karimnagar, the party nominated Rajender Rao, belonging to the influential Velama community, to contest on the Congress ticket. Hyderabad DCC president Mohammed Waliullah Sameer has been Nominated to take on All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi in Hyderabad parliamentary constituency.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had set up coordination committees at Parliament, Assembly and Booth levels, when he contested and won the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha seat in 2019. He is replicating this now for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2024, and expecting similar results.

He has come a long way since he joined the Congress from the Telugu Desam Party in 2017, ahead of the state Assembly elections in 2018. After the party debacle in the Assembly elections in 2018 and Lok Sabha elections in 2019, when the Congress won only three of the 17 Lok Sabha seats, Revanth Reddy was made Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee President. He is credited with galvanising the Congress organisation and putting it in battle mode.

After the success in the Assembly elections in 2023, when he dislodged the BRS Government of K. Chandrashekhar Rao, Revanth Reddy is expected to rework the miracle by winning at least 9 to 11 Lok Sabha seats, although he has personally set a target of 14 seats.

He has allocated plum portfolios to all the senior ministers. The CM’s residence in Begumpet, used by successive CMs, was allotted to Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu. Revanth Reddy continues to operate out of his personal residence in Jubilee Hills.

Clearly he is trying to keep the seniors in good humour, so that there is little or no scope for any rebellion. Revanth Reddy now needs to deliver 10 to 12 Lok Sabha seats for the Congress. The state votes on May 13.