When Anumula Revanth Reddy was picked up by the Congress leadership to lead the party in Telangana in 2021, many senior contenders for the post in the grand old party were shocked as he had defected from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) just before the 2018 Assembly polls.
His appointment had almost triggered a rebellion within the party and a senior leader had even alleged that a central leader of the party took bribe from Revanth Reddy to appoint him to the post.
However, the Congress high-command remained firm. Revanth Reddy, a bitter critic of KCR and his family, was picked to lead the party ahead of the 2023 polls. Known for his aggressive approach and mass appeal, he was seen as someone who can reverse the fortunes of the grand old party in its former stronghold.
Despite claiming credit for carving out the Telangana state, Congress failed to reap electoral dividends, losing badly both in 2014 and 2018.
Though a section of Congress leaders in Telangana still don’t see Revanth Reddy eye-to-eye, they had no option but to accept the high command’s choice.
Revanth Reddy had lost the Assembly elections in 2018 from his home turf Kodangal on a Congress ticket, but got elected to the Lok Sabha from the Malkajgiri parliamentary constituency in 2019.
Despite the controversies surrounding him, the 53-year-old Revanth Reddy is seen by many as the only leader who can take on KCR and family.
“He is quite articulate and undoubtedly the strongest face to challenge KCR,” said political analyst Palwai Raghavendra Reddy.
With good oratory skills, Revanth Reddy is vocal in attacking the BRS government over alleged scams or its failure on various fronts. He also enjoys a good following among the youth.
As the Congress victory in Karnataka lifted the sagging morale of the party in Telangana, Revanth Reddy is currently hogging the limelight. Analysts say Congress has gained momentum under him. They say Congress was never so dynamic during the last nine years.
The TPCC chief is quite active reaching out to the disgruntled leaders in BRS and BJP, and inviting them to join the Congress. His initiative led to some key BRS leaders defecting to the Congress.
Revanth Reddy was also credited with the huge success of the public meeting organised last month at the end of Congress Working Committee (CWC) in Hyderabad.
The TPCC chief is currently the target of BRS attacks. BRS working President K.T. Rama Rao and other leaders, along with the leaders of their 'friendly' party AIMIM, are calling him a RSS man.
While Revanth Reddy admits that he was with ABVP during his student days, he denies any association with the RSS.
Interestingly, Revanth Reddy was a member of all three major political players in the state. Hailing from Kodangal in Mahabubnagar district, he began his political career with TRS (now BRS) in 2003. He quit the party two years later after he was not given a chance to contest.
Contesting as an Independent, he became a Zilla Parishad Territorial Committee (ZPTC) member in 2006. He got elected to Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council in 2008 as an Independent candidate. The same year he joined the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
In 2009 he got elected to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly from Kodangal.
He became closer to TDP President and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. Emerging as one of the key faces of TDP, he was impressive with his articulation, both in the Assembly and outside.
“He used to enthusiastically participate in the debates and always come prepared with facts and figures,” said an analyst.
Revanth Reddy was re-elected from Kodangal in 2014. However, the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh had weakened the TDP in Telangana.
In 2015, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) caught him while he was trying to bribe nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson to make him vote for TDP candidate in Legislative Council elections.
ACB had laid the trap on Stephenson’s complaint and when Revanth Reddy, along with three others, came to the MLA’s house with Rs 50 lakh cash, they were arrested by ACB sleuths. The episode was recorded on camera.
Revanth Reddy was in jail for more than six months before he was granted bail. Since then, he had been maintaining a low profile.
In October 2017, he resigned as MLA and also quit TDP. He vowed to fight for ‘liberation of Telangana from KCR’s autocratic rule’ and later joined the Congress.
He built a strong network within the Congress and soon moved closer to the top leadership. He was rewarded with the post of working president of the TPCC. During the campaign for the 2018 elections, he triggered a row by projecting himself as the Chief Ministerial face.
Despite the defeat in Assembly elections, the party fielded him in the Lok Sabha polls held a few months later and following the victory, he cemented his position in the party.
Revanth Reddy, who is married to the niece of former Union minister and Congress leader late S. Jaipal Reddy, often lands himself in controversies with his comments.
He, however, remains determined to make a mark and many believe that if Congress comes to power, the leadership will pick him for the Chief Minister’s post.