Published Apr 11, 2026 | 4:37 PM ⚊ Updated Apr 11, 2026 | 5:50 PM
Revanth Reddy with AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge (X)
Synopsis: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is the only bankable source for Congress when it comes to raising resources for its needs in different states and at the national level. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shiva Kumar has reportedly been reluctant to shoulder this burden, given that Delhi is yet to meet his aspiration for the high office. Himachal Pradesh, the only other state where the Congress is in power, is not a money spinner.
The image of the ruling Congress in Telangana may have taken a dent over the two-and-a-half years since it came to power. Still, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s stock has been rising within the Congress ecosystem in recent times.
His supporters, as well as critics within and outside, agree that Revanth has more or less cemented his place until at least the next elections, with seniors in the party reconciling themselves to playing second fiddle, happy to make hay when the sun shines, till they decide on the next moves by 2028 when elections are due.
Multiple factors are being cited for Revanth strengthening himself, both at the state level and in the eyes of the Congress high command in Delhi.
First, he is the only bankable source for Congress when it comes to raising resources for its needs in different states and at the national level. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has reportedly been reluctant to shoulder this burden, given that Delhi is yet to meet his aspiration for the high office. Himachal Pradesh, the only other state where the Congress is in power, is not a money spinner.
Unsurprisingly, Revanth Reddy emerged as the “go-to man” for any and every need.
Second, the Telangana chief minister has made a calculated and conscious effort to cultivate people around Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi to ensure that the feedback to the boss stays on the positive side.
Post the victory of Congress in the Jubilee Hills bypoll late last year, the talk that Revanth does not have the ears of Rahul Gandhi has also died down. Rahul visited Hyderabad twice since then, even accepting an invitation from Revanth to be alongside football legend Lionel Messi when he visited the city as part of his India tour.
With South India being the only hope for Congress, Revanth also made sure that he maintained an excellent relationship with leaders who mattered in this part of the country. While he and Shivkumar have been friends for some years now, Revanth also has the backing of senior Kerala leader and AICC organisational secretary KC Venugopal.
Apart from lending support in every possible way during the Kerala elections, Revanth went to the extent of asking a friend to launch a Malayalam channel months ahead of the polls to build the mood in favour of the Congress. If Congress wins Kerala, as many expect, Revanth’s clout is expected to go up further, and a few notches higher if Venugopal is the choice for chief ministership.
Contrast this with what is happening with ministers in the Revanth Cabinet, with one after the other getting weakened, either because of their own mistakes or through calculated moves.
Deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka found himself in an embarrassing situation after it came out that a massive tender in Singareni Collieries was sought to be awarded to people close to him. That the story first appeared in a newspaper considered close to Revanth is a story in itself. The tender had to be finally cancelled.
Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy and Roads & Buildings Minister Komati Venkat Reddy have been silenced in other ways. Transport Minister Ponam Prabhakar is helpless when matters
about his department are decided without his knowledge. All of them have skeletons in the cupboard and, therefore, are in no position to take an aggressive position.
The only clean and no-nonsense minister, D Sridhar Babu, who handles IT and Industries, has been suffering with bureaucrats not to his liking being posted to his department. On one occasion, when a file was sent to him after a GO was issued, the minister signed it after recording “consent post issuance of GO.”
On another occasion, a minister was asked to procure funds for an election in a state by a national-level party leader. When he expressed helplessness, the response was: “Why are you there as a minister then?” This has consolidated the belief that Revanth is the only saviour for Congress.
That said, insiders say Revanth has been extremely careful not to take an independent decision on any matter that could potentially have a financial angle. He would either get the ministers or bureaucrats to sign the relevant files.
Those close to him say that Revanth even considers himself a potential candidate for AICC president when the incumbent, Mallikarjun Kharge, steps down. The party has to have a president
from the South, and the only other choice could be the current Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, if he vacates the office of the Chief Minister. But none could beat Revanth if the party has to build financial resources, a prerequisite to put up a tough fight against the BJP in 2029.
Amidst these political games, no one in Congress seems to care that the ground beneath is shifting, slowly but surely, in Telangana. And, it is not surprising that those in power are either too hopeful or fail to notice the change in people’s mood.
The Congress camp seems to believe that it is only a matter of time before the Opposition Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and BJP arrive at an understanding, either directly or indirectly. Revanth is already preparing a counter-narrative to puncture such an arrangement if it happens.
Congress also expects Kavitha Kalvakuntla, the estranged daughter of former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, to cut the BRS vote by 4-5 per cent through her new political outfit and thereby damage their prospects of returning to power.
But when the river swells, bunds often fail to stop the flood.
