Assembly election results 2023: Revanth Reddy set to become Telangana chief minister

Under Revanth Reddy’s leadership, the Congress ousted the ruling K Chandrasekhar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi government.

Telangana Congress chief Revanth Reddy, who is being credited for Congress win in the state, will be the next Chief Minister.

“The decision has been taken,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi told NDTV. The decision was taken during a meeting in Delhi attended by Gandhi, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and general secretary KC Venugopal, among others. According to reports, senior Congress leaders Uttam Kumar Reddy and Bhatti Vikramarka might be given the deputy Chief Minister post or would be accommodated on good portfolios.

A seasoned politician and Lok Sabha MP from Malkajgiri, Revanth Reddy has been a pivotal figure in Telangana politics. His transition from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to the Congress in 2017 marked a significant shift in the state's political dynamics.

As the face of the Congress in Telangana, Reddy's aggressive campaign strategies and confrontations with Chief Minister KCR have made him a crowd favourite. These helped him establish himself as a potential chief ministerial candidate.

Also read: BJP solidifies position ahead of 2024 LS polls, Cong confronts challenges

Reddy (54) has been a key figure in Telangana politics for the last couple of years. In June 2021, he was appointed as president of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee replacing N Uttam Kumar Reddy. However, Reddy faced stiff resistance from within the party in his journey to the top post. The swearing-in ceremony, which was to take place on December 4, was cancelled after a section of state Congress leaders opposed the choice of Reddy for the CM post. His detractors reportedly included former state Congress chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy to Bhatti Vikramarka, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy to Damodar Rajanarasimha.

The Hyderabad police told Livemint that several chief ministers, former chief ministers, and senior leaders from the national capital are expected to attend the ceremony. The oath-taking ceremony is likely to be held in Hyderabad's Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium.

The Congress crossed the majority mark of 60 seats in the 119-member Telangana state Assembly recently. Congress won 64 seats while the BRS won 39 seats. Under Reddy’s leadership, the Congress ousted the ruling K Chandrasekhar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi government.