Revanth Reddy had pushed exhausting to get his males the Congress tickets.
Hyderabad:
The Congress might be Congress. That is why, even two days after crossing the magic determine in Telangana, they haven’t elected a Congress Legislature Party chief, who goes on to turn into Chief Minister. Nor may they proceed with an oath ceremony as deliberate at Raj Bhavan on Monday night.
The purple carpet had been laid. The chairs for the venue had been wrapped in white. The sound programs and tools had been arrange. Even the flowers had been ordered. It was all dismantled as a result of the Congress displayed the marks of its “democratic DNA” and behaved as many count on it to behave.
On the face of it, all through the marketing campaign and the victory, it had appeared apparent that Telangana Congress chief Revanth Reddy was the main man.
He was the face and voice of the marketing campaign, buttressed by the help of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. It was not a stretch to imagine that he could be chief minister, if not a entrance-runner, by a mile. However, it was by no means going to be that simple, contemplating the grand outdated social gathering’s lengthy historical past of vocal leaders and aspirants. Those who’ve been with the social gathering for years thought that is the time to gather, remind the management that they’re the unique warhorses.Â
There had been voices of protest inside, from Uttam Kumar Reddy to Bhatti Vikramarka, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy to Damodar Rajanarasimha. They reportedly opposed the outright candidature of Revanth Reddy.
These leaders allege Revanth Reddy floated the speculation that he was the favored selection of the individuals and the MLAs, that compromise formulation had been labored out to make him chief minister and accommodate different senior leaders as deputy chief ministers or ministers with plum portfolios. They additionally pointed at Revanth Reddy’s “inexperience” and the truth that he has all the time been within the opposition, by no means within the authorities.
Trouble inside the social gathering, vocal voices talking out in opposition to him, will not be new to Revanth Reddy. Even when he was made PCC chief, his personal social gathering leaders alleged that he had bribed in crores to turn into state congress chief. That when the Congress was nowhere in rivalry to return to energy. It was written off. Again when tickets had been being distributed got here the allegation that he had `offered’ tickets.
Revanth Reddy is acquainted with assaults from inside. Even when he was made state Congress chief, a few of his colleagues urged he had paid crores for the publish. This, when the Congress was a digital write-off, not even in rivalry. Again, when candidates had been being chosen, he was accused of “selling tickets”.
Revanth Reddy had pushed exhausting to get his males picked as candidates. He knew solely too effectively that if he didn’t have sufficient numbers, he would not stand an opportunity inside his personal social gathering. Now, his supporters level out that he has as many as 42 MLAs backing him, and that denying him the highest job would stir bother.
The Congress management organized conferences with every of the social gathering’s 64 MLAs to glean the true image.
61-year-outdated Uttam Kumar Reddy has all the time been with the Congress, has gained seven elections, together with as MP from Nalgonda. He was an Air Force fighter pilot and is understood to be near the Gandhi household, having been an affiliate of Rajiv Gandhi. He’s “most qualified” to be chief minister, mentioned a supply near him.
Former Congress Legislature Party chief Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, 63, belongs to the Mala group of the Dalit group. Vikramarka has been a 3-time MLA, has served as deputy speaker and chief of opposition. He is the brother of Mallu Ravi who, nonetheless, has declared his help for Revanth Reddy. Bhatti Vikramarka went on a 1,400-kilometre march earlier this 12 months, so he can declare to have campaigned for the social gathering past his constituency.
Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, 58, says he’s among the many senior most within the social gathering with some 35 years in politics. He has been a former minister, 4-time MLA and MP, and delivered 11 of 12 meeting constituencies in his district of erstwhile Nalgonda.
Damodar Rajanarasimha, who turns 65 in the present day, belongs to the dominant Madiga Scheduled Caste group. He has been a minister within the YS Rajasekhara Reddy cupboard and deputy Chief Minister within the Congress authorities led by Kiran Kumar Reddy. His household has been with the Congress over generations.
Even in 2004, earlier than YS Rajasekhara Reddy grew to become Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh after a 1,500-km padyatra that was seen to have largely catapulted the Congress to energy, his ascent was challenged by then state Congress chief D Srinivas. The phrase from Delhi prevailed.
