There is a lack of agreement within the Congress party regarding the next Chief Minister of Telangana, according to sources. This comes 24 hours after the party’s victory over K Chandrasekhar Rao’s BRS. Revanth Reddy, the state unit boss of Congress, who is credited with orchestrating the win, was initially seen as a likely candidate for the top post. However, the 54-year-old has faced criticism within the party, which has raised concerns about his potential appointment.
Some sources suggest that Reddy is the first choice for the position, stating that a decision will be made based on a report submitted by the observers. Reddy emerged as the front-runner after contesting and winning the Kodangal seat in the recent election. He also faced a high-profile clash with KCR in Kamareddy, which ended with his defeat by the BJP’s KV Ramana Reddy.
On the other hand, plans for the swearing-in ceremony, originally scheduled for this evening, have been postponed until the decision on the Chief Minister is made. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge will announce the name after meeting with the party’s election observers, who are expected to arrive in Delhi on Tuesday.
The Congress party’s newly-elected MLAs held a meeting in Hyderabad, where they passed a resolution authorizing Kharge to select the new Chief Minister. There are two other potential candidates for the position. Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, who played a prominent role in the Congress’ campaign and undertook a state-wide foot march before the polls, is one of them. Uttam Kumar Reddy, the former state boss of Congress, is also being considered to avoid potential divisions within the party.
Despite being decimated by the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, the Congress secured victory in Telangana by winning 64 seats, four more than the majority mark. The BRS, which won 88 seats in 2018, only managed to secure 39 seats this time. The BJP, on the other hand, won eight seats out of the 111 it contested, an improvement from its performance in 2018. The party’s vote share also increased from 6.98% to nearly 14%.
