Hyderabad: From cajoling sulking senior party leaders through emissaries to busy gearing up for cabinet expansion, clearing pending projects, and seeking funds from the Centre, Chief Minister and TPCC president A Revanth Reddy has multiple tasks to tackle.
Reddy is busy in New Delhi discussing with the Congress High Command the proposed cabinet expansion, entry of BRS MLAs into the party, sulking senior party leaders like MLC K Jeevan Reddy, and meeting Union Ministers to clear the pending projects and funds.
Open revolt by 73-year-old senior party leader and MLC T Jeevan Reddy over the entry of arch-rival and BRS MLA Sanjay Kumar indicated the growing unrest in the Congress party and the new government headed by Revanth Reddy over defections to the party from BRS.
In a bid to nip the trouble in the bud, CM sent his emissaries Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka, IT Minister Sridhar Babu, and others to cajole Jeevan Reddy with an offer to provide him a suitable post in the government.
Jeevan Reddy threatened to quit the MLC seat over the induction of rival BRS MLA Sanjay Kumar into the party without consulting him. Expecting more trouble due to new entrants from BRS, CM reportedly appraised the situation to the Congress high command.
Sources said Jeevan Reddy was offered Chairman of Rythu Samanwaya Samithi previously held by Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, but he turned it down. While the offer of a Cabinet berth is doing the rounds, another senior party leader saw little scope. At present, there are 12 members in the State cabinet.
Earlier it was VHR
The Jagitial MLC is the second senior leader after V Hanumantha Rao, ex-MP to air unhappiness over their shabby treatment by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy after the Congress win.
VHR, who tried Khammam MP ticket, was mighty upset over the denial of the same and also upset over CM for ignoring him. Due to intervention from party leaders, he had a meeting with CM. However, he continues to sulk.
Cong High Command backs CM
However, a senior Congress leader who had good contacts with the Congress High Command, asserted that CM’s decisions have the stamp of approval from the Congress High Command.
“Revanth Reddy Garu, who was in BJP, Telugu Desam, and now Congress, is trying to have his people in the party and government. His actions are openly visible. The Congress High Command, happy with the return of the Congress government in Telangana, is backing CM to the hilt on all his decisions. Original senior Congress leaders like Hanumantha Rao have been relegated to the background. Once you lose the poll, you are out of reckoning. The party is backing Revanth Reddy since he had brought Congress to power and given a free hand,” the senior Congress leader explained.
I will not quit Congress: Jeevan
Jeevan Reddy despite his threat to quit MLC asserted, “I will not leave Congress. I will stay put in the party. I am deeply hurt by the induction of my rival. I will quit as MLC but not the party. My services are always available to Congress. But self-respect is important. My opinion is the same as Rahul Gandhi on defections. I have been in the party for the last 40 years,” he remarked.
Some party leaders are also upset with the induction of Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, former speaker, into Congress. “Despite having a majority, why should we encourage unethical defections into Congress? What will be the fate of Congress workers who suffered at their hands? Congress leaders and workers are upset over defections,” Jeevan Reddy countered.
Leaders oppose defectors from BRS
Many Congress MLAs and other senior party leaders are opposed to the induction of MLAs and senior party leaders from BRS into Congress. They are worried about another power center in their assembly constituencies and also fear losing family hegemony in the constituency.
Sources in Congress said that more BRS MLAs are likely to be inducted into Congress soon despite the threat from BRS leadership that it would move the Supreme Court to enforce anti-defection law against defectors.
Revanth Reddy, who is trying to streamline administration for the implementation of his promised guarantees despite having meagre financial resources, recently transferred 44 IAS/IPS officers in a massive reshuffle. The cabinet ratified a crop loan waiver scheme of up to Rs 2 lakh, which will be implemented by August 15.
CM certainly has an uphill task to streamline the party, government and fulfil the promises he made to the public.
