A Revanth Reddy: From writing Congress slogans on the walls to becoming chief minister of Telangana

Who is Revanth Reddy, the man who has effectively?led the Congress party in 2023 assembly polls?

Revanth Reddy will take oath as chief minister of Telangana on December 7, 2023.

The writing on the wall was clear. Not ominous though. There was nothing to read between the lines. Way back in 2001, student leader Anumula Revanth Reddy decided to take a plunge into active politics.

He charted out his own political course.? He chose the Congress – distancing himself from the ABVP with which he was associated as a student leader in AV College of Science, Arts and Commerce at Domalguda in Hyderabad.

Someone sitting outside the Gandhi Bhavan on the pavement and writing party slogans on its compound wall could hardly have imagined that one day he would be sitting in the most important chair in the party headquarters.

However, he had to prove himself and his worth to be chosen to lead the Congress party, which was looking for a tough, uncompromising, and dependable leader. Revanth Reddy fit the bill. Hailing from an agricultural family – seven brothers and a sister, Revanth Reddy got into business but politics was beckoning him.

As the movement for a separate Telangana state became stronger with TRS leader K Chandrasekhar Rao leading it, Revanth Reddy chose to plunge headlong into the movement.

To his disappointment, KCR did not back him when he wanted to contest as MPTC. Confident about himself, he contested and became MPTC of Midgil without the backing of any party.

Revanth Reddy drew first blood. He set his sights higher. On his own strength, he won as MLC in the local bodies constituency polls. Revanth Reddy caught the attention of TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu who asked him to contest from Kodangal on the TDP ticket.

Revanth was only too happy. He won as a TDP candidate in 2009. He followed it up with another win in 2014, also as TDP candidate. Revanth Reddy who was TDP working President for Telangana chose to quit the party and also his assembly seat in 2017. He joined the Congress as the way forward for him.

However, he lost in the 2018 assembly polls as a Congress candidate from Kodangal but in 2019 won as Congress MP from Malkajgiri. His stock would only increase in the day to come. With the Congress party having lost two assembly elections, the central leadership saw a need to appoint a new PCC chief. There were many contenders. Several seniors. What set Revanth Reddy apart was his gift of the gab. He was fearless. He could not be cowed down by threats. He could match KCR in his speech or go a step further to attack him in the colloquial Telangana language.

In the 2023 assembly polls held on November 30, the party chose Revanth Reddy to contest against BRS leader and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao from Kamareddy constituency also apart from Kondangal constituency. Counting for the 119 assembly seats began on December 3 and Congress party bagged 64 leads with a clear majority.

The CLP meeting was held on December 4 and the Congress leadership announced on December 5 that A Revanth Reddy would be the leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) - and that means he is the choice of the party leadership as chief minister.

The 54-year-old Revanth Reddy will be the first Congress chief minister after Telangana was formed. In the 2014 and 2018 elections, the TRS came to power and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao led the state.