Revanth Reddy is building his own band of loyalists

TTelangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy appears to be steadily consolidating his position within both the Telangana government and the State unit of the Congress, sending clear signals that he intends to mold the future leadership of the party with young faces and create his own set of loyal supporters. This is evident in his appointment of party Whips to the Assembly and Legislative Council.

The three newly appointed Assembly Whips, Vemula Veeresham, Vijaya Ramana Rao and Yennam Srinivas Reddy, are relative newcomers to the Congress from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) respectively.

Similarly, Addanki Dayakar and Venkat Balmoor, both first-time legislators and known to be loyal to the Prime Minister, were appointed as Whips in the Legislative Council. They are all young.

Patnam Mahender Reddy, who left the BRS and has long-standing ties with Mr Reddy, will continue as Government Chief Whip in the Council.

Active consolidation

Sources say that although a coordination committee was formed to bridge the gap between the government and the party, Mr. Reddy had influence in the final decisions. The committee also includes Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) chief Mahesh Kumar Goud, along with senior ministers N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and Damodar Raja Narasimha. The inclusion of Minister Seethakka, who is considered a close confidant of Mr. Reddy, had attracted attention, especially for the exclusion of several long-serving veterans.

Moreover, the latest developments regarding senior leader T. Jeevan Reddy have added another dimension to Mr. Reddy’s alleged consolidation. Jeevan Reddy, who is considered one of the most senior Congress figures in Telangana, expressed his displeasure over the removal of a BRS MLA from his constituency without consulting him. Although he expressed his displeasure, he received little or no reassurance on the matter.

In party circles, this incident is seen as a sign that the Prime Minister will not appreciate any resistance to his political strategy.

These measures also lay out the roadmap for the Prime Minister’s long-term plan and his repeated assertion that his government will remain in power for 10 years. Senior Congress leaders interpret this not just as political optimism but also as a statement of intent. His recent harsh contacts with the Opposition in the Parliament have strengthened this perception. Responding to taunts from BRS legislators, he declared that he would “crush” his opponents in the next elections, as he did in December 2023. Although triggered by the opposition’s statements, many within the Congress believe the message underscores his undisputed authority within the party.

There is currently no visible rival to Mr. Reddy in the State unit. And its recent organizational decisions show that it is determined to ensure that there are no parallel centers of power.

Congress loyalist

Despite consolidating power in the State, Mr. Reddy has consistently underlined his loyalty to the Congress high command. He often credits Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for trusting him at a critical juncture, attributing the formation of the Congress government in Telangana to their trust.

He won the trust of the Gandhi family by restoring Congress rule after 10 years of BRS rule. His elevation to the TPCC chairmanship, barely a year before the 2023 Assembly elections, marked a decisive shift in the party’s fortunes. At that time, Congress morale was at an all-time low and there was a steady stream of defections to the BRS.

Mr. Reddy’s appointment has added new excitement to the squad. He projected confidence that the Congress could wrest power from the invincible K. Chandrashekar Rao. In a national environment where the Congress faced continuous electoral setbacks, the Telangana unit led by him defeated the BRS. The victory was seen as one of the Congress’ most significant comebacks at the State level. Now he looks determined to shape both the administration and the future of the party to his own strengths, assembling a group of young leaders and reliable stalwarts.