Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is set to suffer a jolt as its Telangana unit working president and MLA, A. Revanth Reddy is going to join the Congress in a fast realignment of political forces in the state a year-and-a-half before the next general elections. Revanth Reddy is TDP’s deputy leader in the Assembly and is closely related to former Union minister and Congress leader S. Jaipal Reddy.
Revanth Reddy is being compelled to join the Congress as he is of the view that TDP national president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu has been soft on Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) for the past two years. Revanth’s attempts to put up a strong fight against KCR have been diluted by the TDP leadership.
Revanth Reddy’s entry into the Congress is going to boost the party, which is in a shambles due to faction feuds. Initial reports suggested that at least 12 out of total 31 district unit leaders of the TDP might go with Revanth Reddy.
Revanth Reddy created a flutter in the politics of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh by calling on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on 15 October. Revanth Reddy sought a top post—either president or working president—in the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC), but he is unlikely to get any as there is no vacancy for the posts.
Sources close to both Revanth Reddy and TPCC president N. Uttam Kuamr Reddy have confirmed the TDP leader’s entry into Congress in a grand show of strength after Rahul Gandhi is elected as the party president by next month. “I have no information about Revanth’s joining Congress, but I welcome it wholeheartedly, if it happens,” Uttam Kumar Reddy told The Sunday Guardian on Friday.
However, Uttam Reddy is aware of developments to bring Revanth into the Congress for the past several weeks. AICC SC/ST cell in-charge and Rahul Gandhi’s confidant, Koppula Raju has played a role in ensuring a meeting between the Congress vice-president and Revanth. A former IAS officer of the AP cadre, Raju has convinced Rahul Gandhi that Revanth’s entry was essential to lift the sagging morale of the party in Telangana. Revanth Reddy’s anger against the TDP leadership is understandable as several of its ministers and MLAs had accorded a grand welcome to TRS chief KCR when he attended AP Civil Supplies Minister Paritala Sunitha’s son’s wedding in Anantapur district last month.
But Revanth retorted, “How can our TDP leaders be friendly with KCR who put me in jail in the cash-for vote case two years ago?” Revanth Reddy has become an archrival and bitter critic of KCR since his arrest in the cash-for-vote case in the MLC elections in July 2015 in Telangana. KCR ordered filing a criminal case against not just Revanth Reddy, but also CM Chandrababu Naidu then. But later, the case was watered down due to changed political equations between the two CMs.
Naidu restored his relations with KCR later, but Revanth Reddy remained a strong opponent of the TRS government.
Only a few weeks ago, some senior TDP leaders led by former minister Motkupalli Narsimhulu had opposed Revanth’s statements and said that the party might even go with TRS, but would never join hands with Congress.
Then, Revanth Reddy attacked his own party leaders, especially some AP ministers and legislators, for having business interests in Telangana with the support of KCR. For instance, Revanth Reddy had alleged that AP Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu had secured contractors worth Rs 2,000 crore in Telangana, while Minister Paritala Sunitha and Keshav got a beer manufacturing unit licence.
TDP president and CM Naidu, who is currently in the US on an official visit, directed his son and party general secretary and IT Minister Nara Lokesh to hold a party politburo meeting in Hyderabad on Friday.
Revanth Reddy not only attended the meeting as he is also a politburo member, but also lashed out at the AP ministers and MLAs for having a nexus with KCR at a time when TDP was targeted here. Sources in TDP say that Revanth Reddy is unlikely to be suspended from the party immediately. Though Revanth Reddy had neither confirmed nor denied his joining Congress at the politburo meeting, he had made it clear that TDP had no future in Telangana if it continues to be soft on KCR.