Telangana Congress chief, arrested at midnight, is a rising political star unsettling KCR

File image of Revanth Reddy | Twitter

The midnight arrest of Revanth Reddy has led to the belief in poll-bound Telangana that KCR and his TRS are rattled by this Congress leader.    

Mahbubnagar, Vikarabad: His party colleagues describe him as a Brahmos missile out to destroy the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS). While they may be overplaying the impact of Revanth Reddy, the Telangana Congress working president, he appears to have Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao worried.

The post-midnight arrest of Reddy, the Congress MLA from Kodangal in Telangana, has not only attracted flak, with even the Hyderabad High Court asking if the state had become a banana republic, but it has also led to the belief in the poll-bound state that KCR and his Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) are rattled by the Congress leader.

Reddy was arrested late Monday after he had urged his supporters to disrupt a rally that KCR was addressing in Kodangal. He was let off on Tuesday evening after KCR had addressed the rally.

A bitter critic of KCR, the 51-year-old Reddy is a two-time MLA from Kodangal. He first won in the constituency — when it was part of undivided Andhra Pradesh — on a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) ticket in 2009.

He was re-elected in 2014, by which time the constituency was in Telangana.

KCR, Reddy share similar traits

Political analysts say that KCR perceives the fast-rising Reddy as a threat because the two share similar traits.

“There are two major similarities between Revanth Reddy and KCR,” says political commentator K. Nageshwar Rao. “Both of them are very articulate and both have killer instincts — meaning they will not rest until they become chief ministers. This is why Revanth is turning out to be the biggest threat to the TRS.”

Reddy has also seemingly unsettled the TRS as he attacks both KCR and his son, K.T. Rama Rao, who the chief minister has been promoting as his successor. It is this trait that the Congress Party is trying to cash in. Analysts say that the fact the Reddy can challenge both generations together shows the popularity and power he commands.

Reddy also seems to have the backing of Chandrababu Naidu despite him having quit the TDP for the Congress.

“If the Praja Kutami wins this election, then Revanth is more likely to be the chief ministerial candidate,” a senior alliance leader, who did not want to be named, said. “Uttam Kumar Reddy will be the first choice of the Congress party but Naidu will call the shots and back him (Revanth).”  

A popular figure 

Reddy hails from the region in Telangana dominated by his community. The districts of Mahbubnagar, Khammam and Nalgonda are a stronghold of the Reddy community, which had dominated politics in undivided Andhra Pradesh, but has found itself down the political pecking order in Telangana.   

While the Reddys appear to have rallied behind Revanth, he enjoys phenomenal support in his constituency.

“We dont care which party Revanth stands from, we will vote only for our sir,” says Mohammed, who runs a cycle repair shop in Mahbubnagar.

Another voter, Govardhan Yadav, whose house is by the grounds where KCR addressed a public rally Tuesday feels that Reddy will definitely be the CM in 2023.

“He is the CM of our hearts already,” Yadav said. “Even a national party like the Congress has identified his talent.”

Analysts too agree that while Reddy poses a big challenge this time around, his chief ministerial ambitions may have to wait for a while.