Rahul Gandhi Seals the Deal, Oath Ceremony on December 7 Despite Opposition from Party Leaders
Congress Leader Revanth Reddy to Become Telangana Chief Minister
Revanth Reddy, a leader of the Congress party, is set to become the Chief Minister of Telangana. Rahul Gandhi has approved his name for the position of Chief Minister in Telangana. Rahul Gandhi stated that the party has chosen Revanth Reddy for the Chief Ministerial position in Telangana.
This decision was made during a party meeting held in Delhi on Tuesday, attended by Rahul Gandhi, party president Mallikarjun Kharge, and national general secretary K.C. Venugopal, among other senior leaders. The official announcement of Revanth Reddy as the Chief Ministerial candidate is expected to be made after the Congress Legislature Party meeting in Hyderabad on December 7. Revanth Reddy is expected to take the oath as Chief Minister on the same day at 11 am.
Revanth Reddy’s Swearing-In Ceremony Cancelled Amid Opposition
As per media reports, the swearing-in ceremony of Revanth Reddy as the Chief Minister of Telangana, scheduled for December 6, has been canceled. While the Congress party had almost finalized Revanth Reddy’s name for the Chief Ministerial position in Telangana after the party’s victory, opposition from within the party led to the cancellation of the ceremony.
Revanth Reddy was supposed to take the oath as Chief Minister on December 6. However, due to opposition within the Congress party against Revanth Reddy’s nomination for the CM post, the ceremony had to be called off. Notably, leaders such as Uttam Kumar Reddy, Bhatti Vikramarka, V. Venkatswamy, and Damodar Rajanarasimha, who opposed Revanth Reddy, were present at the Congress Legislature Party meeting.
This is not the first time that Revanth Reddy has faced opposition within the party. In 2021, when he was appointed as the head of the Telangana Congress, there were allegations of corruption against him. Despite these challenges, Revanth Reddy has been a prominent leader in Telangana politics.
Congress Wins 64 Seats in Telangana Legislative Assembly Elections
In the Telangana Legislative Assembly elections held on November 30, the Congress party secured victory in 64 seats out of the total 119. The results were announced on Sunday, revealing that the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) won 39 seats, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 8 seats, All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) won 7 seats, and Communist Party of India (CPI) got one seat. Congress leader Revanth Reddy and Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar met the Governor on the night of December 3, staking a claim to form the government.
Revanth Reddy: President of Telangana Congress and Member of Parliament
Revanth Reddy serves as the President of the Telangana Congress and is a Member of Parliament. He contested elections against Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao in the Kamareddy and Kodangal constituencies. Reddy emerged victorious in the Kodangal seat, defeating BJP leader Venkat Ramana Reddy. This dual victory came during the meetings held for the Kamareddy and Kodangal constituencies.
Revanth Reddy: A Brief Biography
Revanth Reddy, born in the village of Kondareddy in the Mahbubnagar district of Telangana, is a prominent political figure with a career spanning 54 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Osmania University and commenced his political journey with the ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad), which is affiliated with the BJP.
In 2007, he entered active politics as an independent candidate and was elected as a member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council. Later, he joined the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and contested as an independent candidate in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections in 2009. His association with TDP continued, and in 2009, he won the Kodangal Assembly constituency seat in Andhra Pradesh.
Revanth Reddy received an invitation from Chandrababu Naidu, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, to join the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). In 2009, he contested on the TDP ticket and emerged victorious in the Kodangal Assembly constituency. He defeated Congress party candidate Gurunath Reddy five times in a row.
Later, he shifted his allegiance to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) on the invitation of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. In 2014, he contested the elections on the TRS ticket and won the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituency in Telangana.
Revanth Reddy’s political journey reflects his versatility and strategic alliances with different political parties in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Revanth Reddy’s Political Journey: Shifting Alliances and Controversies
In 2017, there were discussions within the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) about Revanth Reddy being in proximity to the Congress party. Consequently, in the same year, he was removed from the position of the Home Minister by the TRS leadership. Shortly after, Revanth Reddy joined the Congress party. However, in the 2018 elections, he contested from Kodangal and faced defeat.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Revanth Reddy contested from the Malkajgiri constituency but lost the election. His political journey has been marked by strategic shifts between different political parties in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
In June 2021, he was appointed as the working president of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee, the highest decision-making body of the Congress party in the state. This move was seen as an effort to strengthen the Congress party in Telangana.
Revanth Reddy has faced legal issues as well, particularly in the “cash-for-vote” case, where he was imprisoned. He was accused of offering money to a nominated MLA to influence his vote in the Legislative Council elections. In the current election scenario, there are allegations that he is involved in the “cash for ticket” case, where money was allegedly taken to provide party tickets.
Revanth Reddy, known for his dynamic and controversial political career, has had an intricate relationship with various political parties and has been in the midst of several controversies, including legal battles.
Dynastic Influence in Telangana Elections
In the recent Telangana Legislative Assembly elections, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) led by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) secured victories in key constituencies, consolidating its dominance in the state.
In the Bhupalpally Reserved Seat (BRS), CM KCR’s son and Bhupalpally Reserved Seat (BRS) represented by KCR, his son K.T. Rama Rao, and KCR’s nephew T. Harish Rao. These family members played significant roles in securing victories for the TRS.
On the Congress front, Anumula Revanth Reddy, a Member of Parliament, secured the Huzurnagar seat, while his wife Anumula Padmavathi won from the Kodad seat. Both husband and wife emerged victorious in the elections. However, Congress candidate Hanumanth Rao lost in the Malkajgiri constituency, and his son Rohit Rao won from the Medchal constituency.
Hanumanth Rao, who was previously associated with the TRS, joined the Congress and was initially given a ticket from the Mahabubabad constituency. Still, he later quit the TRS and contested again from the Mahabubabad constituency as a Congress candidate. However, he faced defeat. The Congress gave the Medchal seat ticket to his son, Rohit Rao, who emerged victorious.
The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) maintained its dominance, while the Congress, with its own share of family-based ticket distribution, saw mixed results in the recent elections. The political landscape in Telangana continues to be influenced by familial connections, a trend that is not unique to the region but is reflective of broader patterns in Indian politics.