Hyderabad: Anumula Revanth Reddy, the Telangana Congress chief credited with leading the party to a thumping win in the November 30 Assembly polls, is the Congress’s Chief Minister choice. “The decision has been taken,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said, categorically saying it is Revanth Reddy who has been chosen for the top post.
The decision was taken during a meeting in Delhi attended by Mr. Gandhi, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, and national general secretary KC Venugopal, among others. A Congress-Legislative Party meeting will be held in Hyderabad before the decision is announced.
Fifty-four-year-old Reddy, who was the face of the Congress’s winning campaign, has faced stiff resistance from within the party in his journey to the top post. The swearing-in ceremony, which was to take place yesterday evening, was called off after a section of state Congress veterans opposed the choice of Mr. Reddy for the Chief Minister post.
These detractors include former state Congress chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy, former CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka, former minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, former deputy chief minister Damodar Rajanarasimha. They reportedly opposed the outright candidature of Revanth Reddy, pointing to pending corruption cases and the Congress’s poor show in Mr Reddy’s Lok Sabha constituency.
Mr Reddy had also faced a challenge when he was given charge of Telangana Congress in 2021. The former TDP leader was accused of paying crores to get the post.
According to his supporters, as many as 42 MLAs out of the Congress’ 64 are Mr Reddy’s loyalists. This also means that the Congress high command, already reeling from poll setbacks in the heartland, will not risk a mass exodus in the only state it won in this round of state polls.
Anumula Revanth Reddy, the leader of the Telangana Congress and the driving force behind the party’s resounding victory in the November 30 Assembly elections, is set to become the Chief Minister as confirmed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. This decision was solidified during a meeting in Delhi, attended by key figures such as Rahul Gandhi, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, and national general secretary KC Venugopal.
The official announcement of this decision is pending, awaiting a Congress Legislature Party meeting scheduled to be held in Hyderabad. However, the much-anticipated swearing-in ceremony, originally planned for the previous evening, had to be postponed due to resistance from some senior Congress members within the state.
Among those opposing Revanth Reddy’s candidacy are figures like 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. Their objections revolve around concerns about pending corruption cases against Reddy and the Congress’s lackluster performance in his Lok Sabha constituency.
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Revanth Reddy’s journey to the Chief Minister position has not been without challenges, as he faced internal resistance within the party during his appointment as the head of Telangana Congress in 2021. Accusations of significant financial transactions to secure the position were leveled against the former TDP leader.
Despite these challenges, Revanth Reddy enjoys substantial support from his followers, with around 42 out of the Congress’s 64 MLAs considered loyalists. This significant backing safeguards the party from the risk of a mass exodus in the only state it emerged victorious in during this recent round of state polls. The Congress high command, already grappling with setbacks in other regions, appears cautious not to provoke further internal strife in the wake of this crucial decision.
