A few days ago, Communist Party of India (CPI) national secretary K Narayana made a comment on the demolition spree led by the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Protection Agency (HYDRAA), created by the Revanth Reddy government to remove illegal constructions that had come up in the Full Tank Level (FTL) and buffer zones of various water bodies.
He said that chief minister Revanth Reddy is "riding a tiger"; he cannot continue to ride it for long, but he also cannot get down easily because it will devour him.
"The chief minister cannot stop the demolitions, and if he does, he will face a loss in the next elections," Narayana said.
Now, Revanth Reddy is facing the heat of these demolitions.
Despite HYDRAA commissioner A V Ranganath assuring that no buildings occupied by poor and middle-class people would be demolished, many homes, small businesses, restaurants, and eateries in Kukatpally and Ameenpur areas have been bulldozed, affecting middle-class families and petty shop owners.
This has triggered strong backlash from local residents, who are questioning the chief minister about why HYDRAA did not demolish the bungalows of the rich and powerful at Durgam Cheruvu and other lake bodies, and instead stopped at just issuing notices.
The proposed demolition of more than 10,000 dwellings along the Musi river, as part of the Musi Riverfront Project, has also become a major issue for Revanth Reddy. The affected residents are resisting the officials who are marking their homes for demolition.
Realizing that his image has taken a severe hit, Revanth Reddy is said to have enlisted the help of Sunil Kanugolu's team, the political strategists who worked for the Congress in the last assembly elections, to control the damage caused by HYDRAA's demolition drive.
Reportedly, Sunil Kanugolu has set up a large office at Raheja Mindspace and recruited 300 field staff, each earning a salary between Rs 45,000 and Rs 80,000 depending on their roles.
Their job is to travel around different parts of Hyderabad and collect 3-4 video testimonies in support of the demolitions, which will be used in a massive social media campaign to improve the image of the Revanth Reddy government.
It remains to be seen whether these strategies will be effective.