Behind The News is your round-up of musings from the corridors of power. The Congress, in a masterclass of “Operation Poach-the-BRS,” welcomed Sanjay into the fold, sending bouts of bile up Jeevan's throat.
Published May 21, 2025 | 9:14 AM ⚊ Updated May 21, 2025 | 9:14 AM
T Jeevan Reddy.
Synopsis: Congress welcoming former BRS leader M Sanjay Kumar has made former MLC T Jeevan Reddy upset. He has been stewing as the Congress did not send him to the legislative council as promised.
The Telangana Congress is where dissidence sits like a dormant volcano. No one knows when it is going to spew up lava, leaving the party bigwigs red-faced, brighter than a ripe tomato!
The volcano at the moment is Telangana Congress workhorse T Jeevan Reddy, the former MLC with a huge chip on his shoulder. He has been stewing as the Congress did not send him to the legislative council as promised.
You cannot blame Congress. It had other plans. Instead of rolling out the red carpet for Jeevan, they threw a full-on welcome party for BRS MLA M Sanjay Kumar in June 2024, complete with hugs, high-fives, and probably some confetti.
Now, Jeevan’s no stranger to defeat — Sanjay has been his personal kryptonite, knocking him out in the 2018 and 2023 Assembly contests. Jeevan, a six-time MLA from Jagtial, must have thought he was the king of the turf until Sanjay swaggered in, draped in pink, and stole his crown — twice!
However, the real kicker? The Congress, in a masterclass of “Operation Poach-the-BRS,” welcomed Sanjay into the fold, sending bouts of bile up Jeevan’s throat.
The plot further thickened in October 2024 when Jeevan’s loyal follower, Maru Ranga Reddy, was brutally killed, allegedly by Sanjay’s supporters. Jeevan’s blood began simmering like never before. He has been seething inwardly ever since. However, the bitterness that showed on his face was hard to miss.
The most awkward moment for Jeevan Reddy arrived when Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy rolled into Jagtial, probably expecting a warm Congress bro-hug. Instead, Jeevan gave him the cold shoulder, dripping his words in sarcasm.
“My job as host is done,” he snapped, basically telling Ponguleti to go play king elsewhere, and then he stomped off, his vinegar-coated words ringing out. The message was loud and clear: “This one’s for you, Congress bosses, for cosying up to my enemies!”
When pesky reporters poked at Sanjay, asking if his rival was even a Congress cardholder, Jeevan didn’t miss a beat. “Go ask the Assembly Speaker who Sanjay belongs to — I don’t even know the guy!” he fired back, with the kind of shade that could eclipse the sun.
Jeevan Reddy’s a walking, talking volcano, rumbling all the time. Unless the Congress sends a troubleshooter with a truckload of charm and a million soothing words, he might erupt, making Mount Vesuvius look like a sparkler.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
