“He was in conflict not only with the ruling BRS (then TRS) government but felt deeply betrayed by his own party members at that time. It is due to his focus, dedication, and calculations that he is the chief minister eight years later,” said a close associate of the CM.
Revanth is an outlier in many ways. He is one of the few chief ministers who never handled a ministry before he became the CM. He was always in opposition, never part of the ruling party. He is also not an old Congress loyalist but joined the party in 2017. He quickly climbed the ladder to become the state party chief in 2021 and this earned him enemies within the Congress.
During political campaigns, Revanth had promised that he would rescue Telangana from the clutches of “feudal lords who ran the government from a farmhouse”. Given KCR’s general inaccessibility to the people, this claim rang true among the people.
So far, Revanth Reddy has taken the right steps to cultivate an image of a chief minister who can be approached by the public. He asked that no traffic restrictions be put in place for his convoy to pass. This is a far cry from the previous government where the public was inconvenienced due to VIP movements, say officials. He has also reduced the number of cars in his convoy from 15 to nine. It was reported that he is using regular flights for his trips to Delhi instead of the special ones. Besides these, he removed the barricades outside Pragathi Bhavan, the main workplace of the CM, and made it open to the public through the Praja Vani programme.
Revanth undertook his “Haath Se Haath Jodo Yatra” in February and toured various constituencies in two months. This was an extension of the Bharat Jodo Yatra of Rahul Gandhi. Revanth’s connection with the people and oratory skills were able to convince voters to give the Congress a chance. Under his guidance, the state unit took up various issues like unemployment, student suicide, the Dharani portal, and corruption with urgency. His admirers say that he is someone who listens to suggestions and is ready to see a counter viewpoint. He was instrumental in choosing Congress’s candidates for the 2023 Telangana assembly elections.
“Under the BRS government, the youth of Telangana did not have an idol to follow. KCR was an agitation leader who was instrumental in forming the state. However, the vacuum for a political idol remained. Revanth has been able to claim that spot due to his oratory skills and charisma. He believes in himself and does not let negative remarks get to him. He also has exemplary time management skills and the ability to sleep on a problem. Whenever karyakartas (cadres) have felt dejected, he has been able to motivate them and work towards a solution,” said an associate.
Revanth rose to this position after facing considerable opposition from his own party members. Since he had come from the TDP, the Congress loyalists never considered him to be one of their own. The other contenders for the CM post were senior leaders Uttam Kumar Reddy and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, who had openly revolted against Revanth. His close associates say that Revanth has an independent way of functioning, which rubs seniors the wrong way.
The 54-year-old is a doting grandfather who often shares photos of his grandson Riyansh on social media.
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