The appointment of A. Revanth Reddy as president of the Congress in Telangana seems to have energised party workers. Known for his sharp rhetoric and rebellious attitude, the 53-year-old MP has admirers cutting across party lines and a strong social media presence—qualities that set him apart from fellow Congress leaders.
It has been less than four years since he quit the Telugu Desam Party and joined the Congress. Reddy’s 15-year-old political career has seen several highs and lows. In 2015, he was arrested on charges of paying bribes to influence voters during the legislative council elections. Last year, a case was filed against him for allegedly flying a drone over a private property without permission.
Reddy says he has been a victim of political vendetta. He is now focused on a four-step plan to revive the Congress’s fortunes in the state. “Crisis makes leaders,” he says. Excerpts from an exclusive interview:
Many senior leaders were in the race for the top post. Why were you chosen?
There is no specific reason. We are in the opposition and we have to fight. That is the situation. When the party is in power, experienced leaders are needed to make key decisions. When in opposition, it is important to fight for people’s issues. [Chief Minister] K. Chandrashekar Rao has been misusing power and silencing the opposition. I have been given a chance since it is the right time to put up a committed fight.
In 2014, the Congress won 21 assembly seats. Today, the party has only six MLAs.
Denne historien er fra July 18, 2021-utgaven av THE WEEK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra July 18, 2021-utgaven av THE WEEK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
War Over Wounded Earth
For the BJP andthe Congress, the ravaged farmlands of Vidarbha represent a cxitieal battleground in their larger struggle to win Maharashtra
Say no to continual elections
Following the recommendations of a high-level committee led by former president Ram Nath Kovind to streamline the widely scattered schedule of national, state and local elections, the Union cabinet has reportedly approved two constitutional amendment bills for likely introduction in Parliament. Predictably, the return of the ‘one nation, one election’ issue to news has set off a flurry of objections by several opposition leaders.
Fabulously, fashionably funny
The third season of the Karan Johar-produced Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives dropped on Netflix, but articles criticising the show appear in some news site or the other almost daily. If it is so bad, why keep writing about it? And if it is so bad, why would the superpowers at Netflix, who are harder to meet than the prime minister, commission the show season after season?
All in the family
The Chitaras have been passing down the secret art of Mata Ni Pachedi through generations for more than 400 years now
Raise a toast to Vidya Balan
Vidya Balan is a New Year baby. At 45, she is aglow in the most beautiful way, having won the hearts and admiration of countless fans across the world, who watched the supremely talented actor take a public tumble on stage at a high-profile promotional event recently, sharing the platform with no less a dancer than the eternally graceful Madhuri Dixit.
Death no bar
Being alive is not a legal requirement to be elected president of the United States
The Lotus POTUS
You should visit us one of these days— there is so much excitement in our USA! No, I don’t mean the famous USA—the Ulhasnagar Sindhi Association of Mumbai.
RAY OF HOPE
Actor and cancer survivor Lisa Ray talks to oncologist Dr Jame Abraham about inner strength and her surrogacy journey
LEVERAGE AI TO ENHANCE WORK
AT THE WEEK Health Summit, Siddharth Bagga, head (retail, CPG and health care), Google Cloud, elaborated on the significant work that Google has been doing in health care through artificial intelligence (AI).
PRESSURE POINTS
Author and MP Shashi Tharoor and motivational speaker Gaur Gopal Das on how to find healing and meaning in today's world