As Revanth consolidates, 'Telangana Model' emerges for Congress

Two years since becoming Telangana’s first Congress chief minister, Anumula Revanth Reddy has confounded critics and sceptics alike by emerging as a figure with an iron grip on both the party and the state administration.

For the Congress high command, Telangana’s relative political calm is a breath of fresh air — especially amid messy power struggles in neighbouring Karnataka, another state where the Congress is in power.

Few would have predicted this in December 2023, when suspense engulfed the Telangana Congress after its Assembly election victory. Political observers forecast chaos amid fears that the party’s notorious internal rivalries and seasoned leaders’ ambitions would affect both its unity and governance. Yet, the central leadership took a decisive gamble by choosing Revanth — a relative outsider with a bold streak — over veteran warhorses.

Two years on, he is already being hailed as "doer". “It’s evident that Revanth has consolidated his position not just inside the Congress but also in the government machinery,” senior journalist and political analyst A Saye Sekhar told DH. “He has balanced governance and welfare delivery despite inheriting a massive fiscal deficit. Brand Hyderabad has gone up another notch in the last two years, emerging as a new destination for global capability centres (GCCs) in the entire country.”

Revanth now draws a comparison with Congress stalwart Y S Rajasekhar Reddy — another “man of the masses” who defined his own era with a mix of popular welfare schemes and infrastructure initiatives.

Rise and rule

Revanth’s ascent is a testament to political tenacity. Beginning as an independent candidate almost two decades ago and winning a Zilla Parishad seat from the undivided Mahbubnagar district, he quickly established his grassroots credentials. He eventually left the TDP, on whose ticket he was elected to the Assembly twice — from undivided Andhra Pradesh and then Telangana — and joined the Congress in 2017.

Known for his oratory and combative brand of politics, Revanth never shied away from controversy. His early association with the RSS and a stint as a journalist for its Telugu weekly Jagrithi was fodder for political rivals, but never a source of embarrassment for him. He also bounced back defiantly from his arrest in the 2015 “cash-for-vote” scandal, which briefly landed him in jail, by memorably challenging Telangana’s then-chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao.

Over the years, he became the Congress’ face against the powerful BRS government. Inheriting a divided party wracked by decades of electoral disappointment in Telangana, Revanth brought warring factions together and energised the cadre through his leadership.

His biggest test, however, may have been within his own party. His rapid rise provoked resistance from old-guard leaders who were wary of his style and ambition. He managed to not only outmanoeuvre them but also fuse rival factions into a more unified front.

His accessibility became his hallmark: “Even now, anyone can meet him,” close aide and Khairatabad DCC president Dr C Rohin Reddy told DH. “He stays grounded, makes time for visitors every day, and never lets power go to his head. None of us expect anything from him except the privilege of working for his vision.”

Such personal touch and transparency have reinforced his image as a man of the masses. “Communicating the state’s fiscal realities bluntly, being direct in feedback — these are his core strengths,” Sekhar noted.

Governance-wise

Despite facing severe budgetary constraints and a legacy of debt, Revanth’s government was quick to roll out the Congress’s much-publicised “Six Guarantees” — including free bus travel for women, subsidised LPG cylinders, 200 units of free power, fine rice distribution, and a farm loan waiver — with a few exceptions. Political analysts credit the administration with striking a delicate fiscal balancing act, sustaining public welfare while beginning to chip away at infrastructural priorities.

Urban voters, once wary of the Congress, have also warmed up to Revanth’s style, as evidenced by consecutive by-election wins in Secunderabad Cantonment and Jubilee Hills. His leadership is drawing comparisons to both NTR — who succeeded as a political novice — and YSR, who harmonised growth and welfare during his tenure as chief minister of Andhra Pradesh from 2004 to 2009.

Revanth’s ambitions extend beyond immediate governance. Determined to leave a lasting imprint on Telangana’s development trajectory, he is spearheading signature urban projects such as Hyderabad 4.0, a futuristic vision for the city; the Musi Riverfront development; and Bharat Future City at Mucherla — poised to become Hyderabad’s next economic engine. These initiatives signal his aspiration to emulate the iconic legacies of past chief ministers — N Chandrababu Naidu’s Cyberabad and IT revolution, YSR’s Outer Ring Road and airport development, and the BRS’ infrastructure transformation under K T Rama Rao.

Revanth Reddy’s focus now is on shaping a new “Telangana Model” — balancing welfare, political stability, development, and grassroots connect.