Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s recent remarks about Komatireddy Venkat Reddy have led the Bharata Rashtra Samithi (BRS), to allege that the remark was directed at other leaders aspiring for the CM post. On April 21, while campaigning for Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy in Bhuvanagiri constituency, Revanth, who is also the state Congress president, heaped praises on Venkat Reddy, who had earlier bitterly objected to the leadership of the Chief Minister.
Revanth said, “Honestly, along with me, if there is anyone who deserves the CM post, it is Komatireddy Venkat Reddy.” Revanth’s statement was evidently to placate the Reddy brothers—Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy. Rajagopal Reddy, who rejoined the Congress after losing the Munugode bye-election on BJP’s ticket, was hoping to secure the Bhuvanagiri MP seat for wife. But the party offered the ticket to Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy, a close aide of Revanth.
By placating the Reddy brothers, Revanth ensured that the duo campaigned for the victory of the Congress candidate from Bhuvanagiri constituency, considered the bastion of the Reddy brothers.
Recently, Venkat Reddy, the Minister of Roads and Buildings, buried the hatchet and said he would support Revanth Reddy to continue as the CM for the next ten years.
Revanth’s approval of Venkat Reddy as an eligible candidate for the CM also led to accusations of the party again going back into the hands of the Reddy community. Reddys are a politically influential, dominant, land-owning community. In an interview held on April 23, former Chief Minister and BRS chief, K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), remarked that the Telangana Congress is being controlled by the upper castes. For several years, YS Rajasekhar Reddy ruled as the Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh. While Reddys dominated the Congress party, the Kammas joined the Telugu Desam Party. But following the state’s bifurcation, KCR exploited the opportunity and seized power from the Reddys.
The Reddys, deprived of power for ten years, organised themselves and endorsed the candidature of Revanth Reddy ahead of the Assembly elections. Speaking about the newfound friendship between Revanth and Venkat Reddy, political analyst K Nageshwar said, “It was a casual remark made by Revanth Reddy. There is nothing much to read into it. Revanth Reddy does not have any power to dismiss the chances of any other aspirants.”
Responding to this bonhomie between two rivals, BRS leader Jagadish Reddy said that Revanth’s remark was aimed at Uttam Kumar Reddy, Bhatti Vikramarka, Sridhar Babu, Damodar Rajnarasimha and Ponnam Prabhakar who were in the contention for the CM post. “The message has reached those it is directed at, loud and clear, and it is for them to respond. They have understood the intentions,” he said.
Jagadish Reddy said that both Revanth and Venkat Reddy were capable of betraying the Congress party in the near future. The BRS has been alleging that Revanth Reddy will join the BJP.
It must be noted that in the recently concluded Assembly elections, out of the 119 MLA candidates, 41 candidates from the Congress belonged to the Reddy community. Forty-three Reddys were elected as MLAs across parties in the elections.