KAMAREDDY: I am against money politics. I will not give money and take money from anyone. Coming from a politician, you wouldn’t believe such a remark. But the BJP’s Katipally Venkata Ramana Reddy, the 53-year-old slayer of giants in Kamareddy, is cut from a different cloth.It was billed as a big fight between Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (70) and TPCC chief Revanth Reddy (54). But the grassroots leader, who led a farmer’s movement against the hugely unpopular Kamareddy master plan of the BRS government, had other ideas.
Taking on the top leaders, Ramana Reddy didn’t lack confidence. “I don’t see KCR as a big leader, I don’t perceive the TPCC chief any differently. People lack options due to the BRS and Congress having established vote banks. I assure people of change without resorting to money or liquor distribution and am contesting with a separate agenda,” he told TNIE before the elections.
The BRS government later announced that it would shelve the move to acquire nearly 3,000 acres of agricultural land for industrial purposes. But farmers, still wary about its intentions, relegated the CM to second place and instead chose the man who led their agitation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election meeting in Kamareddy on November 25 boosted the chances of Ramana Reddy, who has been active in politics since 1999.
Born to a freedom fighter
Katipally Pedda Raja Reddy from Debikalan village of Thadwai Mandal in Kamareddy was a freedom fighter and later a Congress leader. A Kamareddy block president for some time, he served people for many years. Raja Reddy’s son Venkata Ramana Reddy followed in his father’s footsteps. After completing his education, he became active in the Congress and contested as a councillor for Kamareddy Municipality but did not succeed.Ramana Reddy later was elected as a ZPTC member from Thadwai Mandal in 2006.
After two years, he was elected as the combined Nizamabad district Zilla Parishad chairman.
Municipal councillor Avadutha Narendra told TNIE that he has been associated with Ramana Reddy since 2009. “He proved his honesty when he worked as ZP chairman of Nizamabad district. In 2009, several mistakes took place in the transfer of teachers. But he did justice to the teachers,” Narendra said and added that he became a follower of Ramana Reddy after closely watching him. After the bifurcation of the state, Ramana Reddy shifted his loyalties to the YSRCP from the Congress. He returned to the Congress fold after some time sensing that the YSRCP had no role to play in Telangana.
Grassroots leader
After resolving several business and family issues, Ramana Reddy, who lives on Adloor Road in Kamareddy town, joined the BJP in 2018. He contested the Assembly elections from Kamareddy and got more than 15,000 votes. He has been active in the BJP since then.A service-minded leader, Ramana Reddy regularly mingles with youth and has established his own network in all the villages of Kamareddy constituency. In addition to leading the agitation of farmers against the master plan, he also spearheaded another movement by organising women’s SHGs over Pavala Vaddi, a popular scheme introduced by YSR whereby loans were given at low interest. Under his leadership, protest camps were organised in mandals and the district HQ. After a week of agitations, officials responded to the Pavala Vaddi issue and released interest to SHGs in the entire state.
A fan of YSR
Apart from this, Ramana Reddy has also taken up several social and spiritual activities to get closer to people. He provided Laddu Prasadam to 2,300 Ganesh Navarathri Celebrations organising committees. He organises the Shivarathri Jagarana programme on Shivarathri day in Kamareddy town. He has also helped in the construction and renovations of temples. During municipal elections in 2020, he conducted a padayatra programme in all divisions of Kamareddy municipality and helped the BJP win eight wards.
Ramana Reddy’s aim is to make Kamareddy a corruption-free segment. He plans to provide free education and medical facilities to people and start farmer service centres in every village.A fan of Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy, former chief minister of undivided AP, he also has contacts with the present AP Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. He always follows the dress code of late YSR. BJP district general secretary Telu Srinivas, an associate, opined that Ramana Reddy has emerged as a people’s leader. “He would respect everyone’s opinion and any programme would be implemented with clarity and perfect planning,” Srinivas said.