HYDERABAD: Congress MP A Revanth Reddy, who has been raring to step into the shoes of TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy, seems to be running out of patience. Ever since he won the Malkajgiri seat in the Lok Sabha elections in May this year, Revanth has gone into an overdrive, trying his best to capture the coveted position of TPCC chief.
In fact, he has been exerting pressure on the party high command over the same. He has even dropped subtle hints of looking at alternatives. Though he has not given any indication as to what they might be, speculation is rife over whether he would desert the party for another or start his own outfit.
Lately, his actions have been speaking louder than his words. He had opened a party office in Banjara Hills without inviting a State leader. He had tried persuading Rajya Sabha member Ghulam Nabi Azad to attend the event; however, the latter took a rain check once he realised his presence might drive the wedge deeper than what it is between Revanth’s supporters and those against him.
Sources said that Azad had shown interest in promoting Revanth Reddy after his ardent follower and former minister Md Ali Shabbir told him that Revanth would infuse a new vigour into the party.
Getting a wind of what was going on in Delhi, TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy threw his oar in by registering his protest with the party high command. This stymied Revanth’s attempts at jockeying himself in the party. The MP had migrated to the Congress from the TDP after the State’s bifurcation.
“I do not know any Congress leader having a party office of his own. But Revanth had set up one in Banjara Hills, which is being seen as a rival to Gandhi Bhavan. This is only to build pressure on the high command,” said a senior Congress leader on the condition of anonymity. “For the office’s inauguration, he did not invite any State-level leader, including the TPCC chief,” he said.“He is supposed to work under the TPCC chief, but he always acts independently,” the source said.
Revanth’s supporters, however, said that he was the only hope for the party in the State. “It is only Revanth who can help the Congress ride to power in the State,” an aide said.