Revanth Reddy had pushed onerous to get his males the Congress tickets.
Hyderabad:
The Congress will probably be Congress. That’s the reason, even two days after crossing the magic determine in Telangana, they haven’t elected a Congress Legislature Celebration chief, who goes on to change into Chief Minister. Nor may they proceed with an oath ceremony as deliberate at Raj Bhavan on Monday night.
The pink 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 front-runner, by a mile. Nonetheless, it was by no means going to be that straightforward, contemplating the grand previous social gathering’s lengthy historical past of vocal leaders and aspirants. Those that have been with the social gathering for years thought that is the time to gather, remind the management that they’re the unique warhorses.
There have 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 idea 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. Additionally they pointed at Revanth Reddy’s “inexperience” and the truth that he has at all times been within the opposition, by no means within the authorities.
Revanth Reddy is aware of assaults from inside. Even when he was made state Congress chief, a few of his colleagues steered he had paid crores for the submit. This, when the Congress was a digital write-off, not even in competition. Once more, when candidates had been being chosen, he was accused of “promoting tickets”.
Revanth Reddy had pushed onerous to get his males picked as candidates. He knew solely too nicely 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 hassle.
The Congress management organized conferences with every of the social gathering’s 64 MLAs to glean the true image. Separate conferences had been additionally held with varied leaders to attempt to work out a system. Predictably, the choice was to go away the choice to the “excessive command”.
61-year-old Uttam Kumar Reddy has at all times been with the Congress, has received seven elections, together with as MP from Nalgonda. He was an Air Pressure fighter pilot and is thought to be near the Gandhi household, having been an affiliate of Rajiv Gandhi. He is “most certified” to be chief minister, stated a supply near him.
Former Congress Legislature Celebration chief Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, 63, belongs to the Mala group of the Dalit group. Vikramarka has been a three-time MLA, has served as deputy speaker and chief of opposition. He’s 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 yr, 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, four-time MLA and MP, and delivered 11 of 12 meeting constituencies in his district of erstwhile Nalgonda.
Damodar Rajanarasimha, who turns 65 at present, 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 turned 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.