Hyderabad: Despite losing quite badly in the GHMC polls, the Telugu Desam national leadership apparently continues to rely on the party’s working president in Telangana, A. Revanth Reddy, much to the chagrin of its other leaders in TS.
The reliance of the TD’s national leaders on Mr Revanth Reddy is obvious from the messages sent to the media by the TD central party office in Hyderabad on the tours and programmes to be taken up by the MLA, ignoring other leaders like the party’s Legislature Party leader E. Dayakar Rao and TS unit chief L. Ramana.
Going by these messages, Mr Revanth Reddy is the ‘vote-getter’ and chief campaigner for the TD in TS.
Though there are murmurs within TD circles, especially from Mr Dayakar Rao and Kottakota Dayakar Reddy over Mr Revanth Reddy being highlighted, the leadership appears firm on backing the latter in all its political assignments.
During the campaign for GHMC polls, TD national president N. Chandrababu Naidu and party general secretary Nara Lokesh had given prominence to Mr Revanth Reddy, indeed terming him “Assembly Tiger” and “Telangana Tiger”.
“Somehow we have to manage the party and its political activities. Revanth Reddy is quite a popular leader and face of the TD in Telangana. He has a hundred per cent killer instinct against the TRS, a quality not seen in other leaders,” said a senior functionary and close confidant of Mr Naidu.
He admitted there were differences among some leaders over Mr Revanth Reddy being given so much prominence in TS.
However, the TD leader hastened to add, “We are not bothered much about it. Differences are bound to crop up even if we promote any one else.”
However, Mr Dayakar Rao’s followers do not quite agree. They feel their leader is helpless and cannot do anything since it is his caste that is presently ruling the state.
“Our leader is also touring Narayankhed, but there are no messages or arrangements regarding his tour. In contrast, Revanth Reddy is backed fully by the party. This is unfair,” complained one of Mr Dayakar Rao’s supporters.
Said senior functionary and former MP, “Right now, KCR ‘hawa’ is blowing across the state. People are believing him.
We have to wait till the direction of the wind changes, and then people’s minds will change automatically, and TD will get stronger in Telangana.”
