On Tuesday, The Congress party declared that Revanth Reddy, the chief of Telangana Congress, credited for leading Congress to a decisive victory in the November 30 Assembly polls in Telangana, is set to become the next chief minister of the southern state. The Congress party secured a significant win with 64 seats in the 119-member Assembly.
Rahul Gandhi, a prominent Congress leader, announced this decision after a meeting in Delhi attended by key figures such as Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and national general secretary KC Venugopal. Reddy, summoned to Delhi, left for the capital on Tuesday evening.
Following the announcement, Reddy expressed his 'gratitude' to Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and other key party leaders. However, The official announcement is scheduled to occur after a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party in Hyderabad.
Reportedly, senior Congress leaders Uttam Kumar Reddy and Bhatti Vikramarka are speculated to be considered for the Deputy Chief Minister post or other portfolios.
During a press briefing, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal announced that the swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for December 7. As per the Hyderabad police, numerous chief ministers, former chief ministers, and senior leaders from the national capital are anticipated to attend the swearing-in ceremony. The venue for the oath-taking ceremony is expected to be Hyderabad's LB Stadium.
Revanth Reddy
Revanth Reddy was born on November 8, 1969, in Kondareddy Palli of Mahboobnagar district, Reddy is a graduate in arts from A. V. College, Osmania University. During his student years, he was associated with the right-wing ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad) and is now the next chief minister of Telangana.
He entered into politics early, winning as an independent MLC in 2007, then joined the Telugu Desam Party. He joined congress six years ago, now at the age of 56 years he is a working president of the state unit, a Member of Parliament, and currently holds the position of Telangana Congress president.
Reddy's leadership style, marked by openness to criticize members of his own party, has garnered both praise and criticism. He has also openly expressed admiration for his mentor, N Chandrababu Naidu, and his previous association with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), where he served as a two-time TDP MLA.
Telangana Congress Chief Revanth Reddy has shaped the course of the Congress party in the state, achieving significant milestones in a relatively short time, despite facing strong opposition within the party. Projected as a significant leader in the state, he was prominently featured alongside CM KCR in the Telangana election campaign.
In these two years, Mr. Reddy spearheaded an energetic campaign against the K Chandrashekar Rao-led party. He actively participated in street protests, contributing to the gradual strengthening of the Congress in the state.
Under Reddy's leadership, the Congress party successfully ousted the Chandrasekhar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS), which had been in power since 2014.
Intra-Party Objection against Reddy’s candidacy
Opponents, including former state Congress chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy, former CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka, former minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, and former deputy chief minister Damodar Rajanarasimha, raised objections to Revanth Reddy's candidacy for CM. They highlighted the pending corruption cases and the lacklustre performance in Mr. Reddy's Lok Sabha constituency as reasons for their opposition.
Leading up to the election, Mr. Reddy's choice of candidates have also sparked protests within the state Congress, with accusations of "selling" tickets. Despite the controversy, the experienced politician stood firm in determining the candidate list, recognizing that without the support of MLAs, his chances at the top post would be slim.
Supporters argue that a considerable number, up to 42 out of the Congress' 64 MLAs, remain loyal to Mr. Reddy. This support base suggests that the Congress high command, already grappling with electoral setbacks elsewhere, is unlikely to risk a mass exodus in the only state where it emerged victorious during this round of state polls.
Earlier in 2021, Revanth Reddy after assuming leadership of Telangana Congress faced challenges including allegations of making significant payments to secure the position as a former TDP leader surfaced.During this time, the Congress posed minimal competition to the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi, which had held power in the state since its formation in 2014.
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