HYDERABAD: Indicating dissent brewing in the ruling Congress, MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy on Saturday publicly criticised Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for his recent assertion that he would continue to hold the reins of the top post until 2034.
The chief minister’s comments, which came during a political offensive against BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, have sparked unease among a section of the party.
Taking to social media platform X, Rajgopal Reddy described Revanth Reddy’s statement as a deviation from the Congress’ long-standing democratic principles and warned against centralising power.
“Revanth Reddy’s announcement that he will be the chief minister for the next 10 years is contrary to the policies of the Congress party. In a national party like Congress, the selection of the Chief Minister happens democratically, as per the directives of the high command. Sincere Congress leaders and workers will not tolerate attempts to turn Telangana Congress into a personal fiefdom,” he tweeted.
While Revanth Reddy’s assertion may have been aimed at projecting political continuity and stability of the government led by him, the critics within the party view it as a unilateral claim that disregards institutional processes and collective decision-making.
However, the party insiders suggest Rajgopal Reddy’s remarks may also be driven by personal discontent, particularly over not being inducted into the state Cabinet.
Significantly, Rajgopal Reddy’s strained relations with Revanth Reddy adds context to the current flare-up. In October 2022, Rajgopal Reddy had resigned from the Congress openly opposing Revanth Reddy’s leadership as TPCC president and contested the Munugode bye-election on a BJP ticket. He rejoined the Congress ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections, and was re-elected as an MLA.
