Telangana Assembly Election Results 2023: A Revanth Reddy to be ...

The Congress' road to victory in Telanga comes at the cost of upsetting incumbent BRS' and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's (KCR) plans for a hattrick government run in the state. And the one gaining the most praise for the reversal is Reddy.

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A Member of Parliament (MP) in the Lok Sabha from Congress, Reddy represents the Malkajgiri Constituency.

During his student days at Osmania University, he engaged with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Stepping into politics early on, he secured a position as a Minister of the Legislative Council (MLC) in 2007 as an independent candidate.

Subsequently, he was affiliated with the Telugu Desam Party (TDS). During this time he was a two-time Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly in 2009 and 2014. He then transitioned to the Telangana Assembly from 2014 to 2018, representing the Kodangal Constituency.

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In 2014, Reddy clinched victory in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections from the Kodangal seat, amassing a significant 46.45 percent of the votes. Repeating his success in the same seat in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he garnered a vote share of 39.06 percent.

In what became a significant move, Reddy shifted allegiance from the TDP to Congress in 2017. He faced defeat in the 2019 Telangana Assembly elections, losing the Kodangal constituency. However, he rebounded strongly by securing the Malkajgiri seat in the 2019 general elections, becoming an MP with a margin of 10,919 votes.

Reddy's political acumen and influence led to his appointment as the president of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee in June 2021, taking over from his predecessor N Uttam Kumar Reddy.

Reddy has demonstrated a strong presence in various electoral battles. His contested seats in this election include Kamareddy, where he is leading against incumbent CM KCR, and in his stronghold Kodangal. The success sparked celebrations among state Congress party workers, with jubilant scenes witnessed at his residence and the party's state headquarters.

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Despite facing criticism within the Congress for altering their leadership style as the state chief, Reddy received the backing of the party's high command. And his ascent within the Congress ranks was notable, with his emergence as a top contender for the chief minister's post in Telangana.

After the exit polls, TPCC president Revanth Reddy, who has been the face of the campaign, said the high command would decide who the CM would be, but he did not rule out running himself, as per various media reports.

Responding to reporters on the possibility of Reddy becoming Telangana's new CM, ex-PCC chief, and senior Congress leader Uttam Kumar Reddy said "it is not the right time to comment", adding, "We will wait for high command and then we will take action."

Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar who is in Telangana as an AICC observer also responded to a similar question, stating, "He (Revanth Reddy) is the PCC president. He is the team leader. Our party will take the decision. The election was fought on collective leadership. I do not want to comment on K Chandrashekar Rao or KT Rama Rao, the people of Telangana have given them an answer."

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Uttam Reddy told reporters the party's success in Telangana can also be attributed to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'.

The outcome of the Telangana elections holds significance for the Congress party as it gears up for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Securing victories in Karnataka and Telangana would solidify its influence in the Southern regions.

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Not long ago, the Congress party seemed to have been disregarded entirely. However, a resurgence appears underway, attributed to various factors. These include perceived dissatisfaction among constituencies towards BRS MLAs, heightened enthusiasm stemming from the Karnataka triumph among party leaders and members, a decline in BJP's standing post the removal of Bandi Sanjay as Telangana unit chief, and a perception of collaboration between BRS, AIMIM, and BJP.

As per the EC website, BJP is leading in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, while Congress is way ahead of BRS in Telangana.

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Updated: 03 Dec 2023, 04:51 PM IST