The Revanth Reddy-led Congress government in Telangana took charge only five days ago, but it has been rolling out changes – both in policy and perception – one after the other.
From the swearing-in ceremony on 7 December – which went smoother than most oath-taking ceremonies in Congress-ruled states – to the implementation of two of its six guarantees, the Congress government in the state appears eager to prove that it has no room for bickering or power tussles.
Unlike in Karnataka, where it took the party seven days to choose Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister and DK Shivakumar as Deputy Chief Minister, the Telangana question of 'who will be CM' was resolved in a matter of two days, going by the choice of a majority of MLAs.
All the other CM aspirants – including senior Congress leaders Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Uttam Kumar Reddy, and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy – also toed the party line.
But how did these leaders, who are known critics of Revanth Reddy, come together to work under his leadership? How is the Congress in Telangana juggling dissent and optics?
Why Senior Leaders Toed the Line
Since Revanth Reddy's swearing-in as CM:
The government has opened up the Jyotirao Phule Praja Bhavan (or the chief minister's camp office) to the public to submit their grievances
Two of the six guarantees of the Congress – the Mahalakshmi scheme (free bus rides for women and trans persons) and the Rajiv Aarogyasri scheme (health insurance) – were greenlit for implementation
Revanth Reddy visited Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and former CM K Chandrasekhar Rao at the hospital after the latter's hip surgery
There has been a major overhaul of bureaucrats in the Telangana government
Key portfolios were allocated to senior leaders in the Cabinet, while Revanth caught hold of Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD), with an eye on strengthening his hold in Bharat Rashtra Samithi-controlled Hyderabad
"Normally, the tradition in the Congress party is to take about a week to come to a consensus on the CM and the Cabinet. There is usually a big hangama – including the threat of someone walking out. In Telangana, they managed to avoid all that, while also taking active steps towards governance," observes political analyst and television anchor Sumanth C Raman.
Experts attribute this to multiple factors:
1. Revanth Reddy was the face of the campaign
"Even in the party's election material, Revanth Reddy was highlighted – because the Congress realised he was striking a chord with the people," Raman says.
Political commentator R Pridhvi Raj concurs, saying:
"Revanth had toured Telangana extensively during the campaign. He is well-liked by Rahul Gandhi and he has a good following among the youth. Naturally, he was the choice of most of the MLAs."
As per the India Today-Axis My India exit polls, 21 percent voters wanted Revanth to be the CM, second to former CM KCR.
2. Revanth Reddy is actively trying not to sideline senior leaders
After taking over as the Chief Minister, Revanth has tried to maintain a good relationship with all the senior leaders, opines Pridhvi Raj. "Revanth Reddy is a savvy person. He has tried his best to get everyone on his side."
"He visited senior Congress leader Jana Reddy recentky; he met KCR at the hospital, despite being bitter enemies. And despite having faced opposition within the party, he has not uttered a word against any Congress leaders. He is trying to project the image of a diplomatic leader."
CM Revanth Reddy and Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka unveiling the Mahalakshmi scheme together. Experts say this is an attempt by Revanth not to sideline Bhatti Vikramarka, who was part of the anti-Revanth camp.
(Photo: Telangana Congress/X)
In 2022, senior leaders like Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Uttam Kumar Reddy, Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy, and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy had launched a campaign against Revanth, a year after he took over as the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president. Some leaders even refused to campaign for and alongside Revanth ahead of the polls.
3. Pan-Telangana appeal of other leaders not as strong
Raman points out that "the pan-Telangana appeal of other senior Congress leaders was not as strong as Revanth's," making it difficult for them to oppose his leadership at that juncture.
"It was Revanth Reddy who led the campaign in Telangana. Who stopped a leader like Komatireddy Venkat Reddy from campaigning throughout the state? He limited himself to just the Nalgonda region. He is senior to Revanth, but that alone doesn't qualify you for the position of CM."R Pridhvi Raj
The Congress leaders, therefore, realised that it was in their interest not to create problems, experts note.
4. Karnataka case is different
"In Karnataka, there were two main leaders – Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar. Here, there is only one leader – Revanth Reddy. There was a clash of personalities in Karnataka, but in Telangana, the support was overwhelmingly in Revanth's favour," Raman points out.
"The very fact that Revanth was chosen as the CLP leader shows that he is drawing a lot of support from the high command. I don't think loyalties and seniorities weigh much here, because finally, they needed Revanth to win the election. If they go by seniority they might lose efficiency."R Pridhvi Raj
What Are the Challenges Ahead?
Even as the Congress government in Telangana has tried to put its best forward, hurdles remain.
The differences among the senior leaders may crop up eventually – and a party with 64 MLAs is always at risk of being destabilised, opine experts. "The Congress has already opened a channel of communication with BRS and AIMIM MLAs because it wants to fortify its position in the Assembly. And this is important for Revanth because he has the most to lose," opines Pridhvi Raj.
Some BRS MLAs are even rumoured to join the Congress. Bhadrachalam MLA from BRS, Tellam Venkat Rao, recently announced that he would join the Congress soon.
Revanth Reddy would also have to mobilise resources to the tune of 1 lakh crore to implement the six guarantees. This is in addition to the welfare measures already in place. "What Revanth says is that the economy is buoyant in Telangana. But will that be enough to implement these schemes," asks Pridhvi Raj.
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