Telangana | Can Revanth Reddy overcome opposition and protect his chair?

One year after coming to power, Revanth Reddy is a man on a mission — but much will depend on how he tackles Congress’ inner politics and the Opposition’s attacks

In the first week of July 2015, a massive rally was taken out from Chanchalguda Jail in the older part of Hyderabad to the upscale Jubilee Hills area. Slogans of ‘Tiger Revanth Anna’ were heard all along the route. Complimenting it were hoardings and posters with A Revanth Reddy’s images accompanied by a similar slogan. After spending 30 days in jail as accused in a bribery case, then Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA Revanth Reddy was released on bail on July 1, 2015. The mainstream media in a way ridiculed the event and the slogans.

It has been almost 10 years since that day, but it is apt to remember those defining moments now at a time when the Reddy-led Congress is celebrating one year in office. The fact, however, is that the Congress government could only govern effectively for six months as the code for Lok Sabha elections put a halt to development and welfare activities.

Immediately after coming into power, the Reddy government implemented the first promise of free bus travel for women in Telangana. Recently, the chief minister said that the state government earns Rs 18,500 crore as revenue per month but is paying about Rs 6,500 crore as interest to the loans taken by the previous government. Apart from free bus travel, the loan waiver for farmers is a major achievement of this government.

According to the government statistics, about Rs 21,000 crore was spent to waive off the loans of about 2.5 million farmers. In the last one year, about 55,143 jobs where provided to the youth. These two achievements stand out.

Reddy announced that the government will also implement the Rythu Bharosa (earlier known as Rythu Bandhu) scheme from Sankranti, in January. This is similar to the flagship programme of the first Telangana government headed by K Chandrasekhar Rao, the founder and president of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

According to the scheme, a sum of Rs 5,000 per crop per year was provided to each farmer in Telangana, and that became one of the biggest criticisms of it where it was said that undeserving and wealthy landlords owning huge parcels of land, in some cases hundreds of acres of uncultivated land, were its beneficiaries. The Congress government has raised the amount to Rs 7500 per crop per acre and is trying to confine it to small and medium farmers owning land between five to 10 acres. The upcoming winter session of the Assembly is expected to discuss the Rythu Bharosa scheme thread bare.

Cleaning act

Meanwhile, the two important programs introduced by the Chief Minister Revanth Reddy have attracted serious criticism.

The first is the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Monitoring and Protection Agency (HYDRA), which among other tasks also aims to clear encroachments in and around the lakes in Hyderabad. Over the decades, encroachments have blocked and destroyed hundreds water bodies and drains, leading to floods during the monsoons.  from both sides of the political divide is a challenge for the government, but Reddy is determined to go ahead with it.

The second programme focuses on cleaning up the Musi River, which passes through Hyderabad. This is not a new programme; in 2006-2007, then chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy of united Andhra Pradesh attempted to clean the river which once met the drinking and irrigation needs of the city’s residents. Encroachments, along with sewage and industrial waste has polluted the Musi. Rao’s government formed a Corporation specifically to rejuvenate the river, but the project failed to take off. Ironically, the same party leaders, who are sitting in Opposition now, are protesting against government’s efforts.

Criticisms apart, these two programmes are very important for a thriving and ever-growing metro like Hyderabad.

Political pressure

While ensuring that the poll promises are rolled out, Revanth Reddy must also keep the various factions within the Congress together, and defend his government from the Opposition’s relentless attacks. The 2023 Assembly polls was a jolt for the BRS, and this has emboldened the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s confidence, especially after its performance in the 2024 general elections: of the 17 Lok Sabha seats from Telangana, both the Congress and the BJP won eight each, and the AIMIM won one seat.

Another challenge for Revanth Reddy is to protect his seat for next four years. The Congress is known for replacing chief ministers and it has to be seen if Revanth Reddy won the hearts of not just voters but also that of the central leadership. History shows that except for Rajasekhara Reddy and Kasu Brahmananda Reddy none of the 12 Andhra Pradesh chief ministers from the Congress have completed a full term. Statistics aside, the Kodangal MLA could be eying the post for the next nine years!

(Amar Devulapalli, is Editor, Mana Telangana. He was Advisor for National Media and Inter-State Affairs for the previous Andhra Pradesh government.)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.