Did Telangana CM Revanth’s Delhi trip quietly prove his clout in state Congress?

There’s no room for doubt — Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s recent trip to New Delhi has firmly established his influence with the Congress party high command.

In fact, it can be said that the visit earned him success on two fronts. First, it disproved the campaign led by KT Rama Rao (KTR) and others that Rahul Gandhi wasn’t even granting him an appointment. Second, it sent a strong message to the faction within the Congress party that was planning to visit Delhi to lodge complaints against him.

Also read: Revanth Reddy’s 10-year tenure remark triggers dissent within Telangana Congress

KTR had repeatedly claimed that Rahul, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, was avoiding Revanth and wouldn’t even meet him, going so far as to suggest Revanth’s position was on shaky ground. But Revanth’s recent PowerPoint presentation in Delhi seems to have effectively silenced such baseless narratives.

Rahul, Priyanka attend Revanth’s PowerPoint presentation

Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi both attended Revanth’s presentation. The presence of both leaders at the event not only reaffirmed Revanth’s standing with the high command but also put the brakes on the momentum of his detractors within the party. One thing is clear — Revanth enjoys popularity among Telangana Congress leaders that others do not. His biggest distinction is his uncompromising stand against the KCR family. No other Congress leader faced the kind of hardships Revanth did during the BRS regime. Multiple cases were filed against him by the previous government, and he was even jailed. It’s widely known that some of his Cabinet colleagues still maintain backdoor contact with key BRS leaders.

KTR, Harish keeping tab on Congress developments?

There’s speculation within the BRS party that leaders KTR and Harish Rao are closely monitoring internal developments within the Congress and the government, and are attacking Revanth from every angle accordingly. Talk is also growing that Revanth is not only facing opposition from the BRS but also from a few within his own party. KTR has consistently made remarks and social media posts claiming that Rahul is distancing himself from Revanth. However, the recent Delhi tour seems to have debunked this narrative and dealt a blow to both KTR and Revanth’s rivals within Congress.

Sonia skips meeting

While Sonia Gandhi was the only senior leader absent, all other top Congress leaders attended Revanth’s presentation on Backward Classes (BC) reservations. That alone indicates the priority he commands. The 40-minute session had the undivided attention of Rahul, Priyanka, and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge — something that is rarely seen. The fact that both Rahul and Priyanka sat through the entire presentation itself speaks volumes. Clearly, the speculation that Revanth had lost favour with the leadership now stands invalidated.

Also read: No entry for KCR family in Congress, says Revanth Reddy amid BRS infighting

There’s no other Congress leader in Telangana today who matches Revanth’s stature. His eloquence, initiative, and mass appeal place him in a league of his own. His no-compromise battle with KCR’s family has won him significant public support.

High command’s unease with Revanth’s growing popularity

But Revanth also has a downside. The high command is said to be uncomfortable with the amount of control he holds over the majority of MLAs and ministers. No party leadership is comfortable with leaders who begin to function independently of central directives. Historically, the Congress has never tolerated such autonomy. The only exception was the late Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR), who ran his government independently without interference from the high command. No one in the leadership wants such a scenario to repeat. And if it begins to happen, they won’t sit quietly. That’s why speed breakers are being placed in Revanth’s path. His lack of control over recent Cabinet expansion and MLC nominations is clear evidence — he wasn’t able to get his way in either case.

Also read: BRS wants Revanth Reddy to quit after ED names him in National Herald chargesheet

Regardless, the high command cannot afford to sideline Revanth — at least not in the immediate future. With the Bihar Assembly elections and polls in other states on the horizon, Revanth’s involvement will be crucial for the central leadership. So, for now, there’s no imminent threat to his position. But as everyone in the Congress knows, nothing can ever be said with certainty about what might happen next.

(This article was originally published in The Federal Telangana)