Telangana Neta Natter | Revanth’s Lesson on the Art of Winning Over Rivals
Recalling his early days as TPCC president in 2021, Revanth Reddy said his elevation within three years of joining the Congress had triggered strong resistance from several senior leaders who were far more experienced in the party. Instead of silencing dissent, he chose dialogue, personally visiting leaders’ homes to seek cooperation.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy recently turned trainer, storyteller and motivator during an offbeat political classroom session for newly appointed District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents at Vikarabad, offering lessons drawn not from textbooks but from personal political battles. Recalling his early days as TPCC president in 2021, Revanth Reddy said his elevation within three years of joining the Congress had triggered strong resistance from several senior leaders who were far more experienced in the party. Instead of silencing dissent, he chose dialogue, personally visiting leaders’ homes to seek cooperation. He candidly narrated how some seniors shut doors on him and even refused meetings, moments that, he said, strengthened his resolve. Persistent outreach eventually helped him win their confidence, paving the way for the Congress victory in Telangana. Drawing parallels, the Chief Minister advised DCC presidents not to suppress rival voices but to persuade critics, warning that stifling dissent weakens a party in the long run while accommodation builds durable unity.
IT dept set for a reboot, with a miner on the job
The corridors of Secretariat may be laid out in straight lines but they can be full of twists and turns as seen in the latest bureaucratic musical chairs with IT and industries special chief secretary Sanjay Kumar being shunted out of the key post barely 10 months after assuming charge, sparking animated chatter in official circles. The buzz is that IT and industries minister D. Sridhar Babu was reportedly uncomfortable with Sanjay Kumar’s working style, and the differences gradually translated into an early exit — a rarity in a department known for administrative continuity. The contrast became sharper as officials recalled the long tenure of Jayesh Ranjan, who steered the department for nearly a decade across both BRS and Congress governments, becoming synonymous with Telangana’s IT growth story. Sanjay’s successor, N. Sridhar, arrives with his own reputation, having served a record nine years as Singareni CMD during the BRS regime. The talking point in bureaucratic circles now is whether he can replicate his Singareni stability in the fast-paced IT department.
Why are KTR and Harish racing with each other?
A two-horse race may be fun on the tracks but a who-gets-there-first sprint appears to be on within the BRS — with party working president K.T. Rama Rao, and senior leader T. Harish Rao rushing to various parts in the state, ostensibly to be the first to talk about an issue, like the arrest of former MLA Balka Suman, and to express solidarity, or just support and sympathy in other cases. This has left several wondering what starter’s gun has been fired within the party. The scurrying around across the state of the two leaders, or through statements issued on various issues with both saying the same things on most occasions, speaks of an underlying and unspoken tension within the top echelons of the BRS. Are KTR and Harish in a race to the top, or are just doing what a good politician in an opposition party does, is best left to conjecture is the considered opinion of many in the party. If not for being noticed by party supremo KCR, then the race must be seen as one to grab the hearts of party leaders, whose support may turn crucial for either of the two when the time comes.
A Congress-BJP hug, a viral video and some subterfuge
It was just a few days ago that enemies became frenemies following the municipal elections, as calculated alliances were given birth amidst hectic political manoeuvring and those vibrations are still being felt in Adilabad district. During his recent visit to the Korata-Chanaka barrage, government adviser P. Sudarshan Reddy hugged local MLA Payal Shankar of the BJP and the video clip of the same went viral with folks wondering what was up again, especially after the Congress did everything it could to prevent the BJP from grabbing the chairman post. In the municipal elections, the BJP won 21 wards, the Congress 11, the BRS and MIM getting six each with five independents bringing up the rear. The post went to a Congress rebel candidate who contested as an independent, securing support from the BRS, MIM, Congress and the independents. In less than a day, he joined the Congress leaving many wondering what that bonhomie between Reddy and Shankar was all about.
3-hour siestas get a power chop
Breaks from work may have their place but the extended lunch hours at Vidyut Soudha, the state’s bustling hub of all things electricity, has TGTransco’s CMD seeing red — with some employees and artisans enjoying long lunch breaks, from 12.30 pm to 3 pm, chatting away, strolling around, and letting the clock race by. The CMD, spotting a dip in productivity, has sent out a friendly circular asking the employees to stick to the stipulated lunch period. The note reminded everyone to stay seated and ready for action during office hours, except for that well-deserved prandial pause within the specified schedule. Whether the quick power lunch directive actually works with leisurely lunches being the habit, remains to be seen.
The SCB-GHMC merger that just wasn’t
One forwarded file in Delhi and politics in the Secunderabad Cantonment slipped into celebration mode. Teaser alerts dropped, pictures followed and a late-night press release and a meeting added urgency. For almost an hour, many residents genuinely believed the long-pending merger of the cantonment board with the GHMC had finally been cleared. What actually happened was that the defence secretary had merely forwarded MLA Sriganesh Narayanan’s representation on the matter for examination, but that little fact did not stop the triumphant tone. Across party lines, several leaders privately slammed the MLA’s celebrations, saying file movement was being packaged as final approval. A few even mocked the speed of the celebrations. In a constituency that has waited years for clarity, hope spreads quickly and so does political theatre.
Damodar and a second chance for truant docs
What was supposed to be an injection of some discipline into the health department ended up like a misdirected dose of essential medicine. Last week’s notices of termination of 94 doctors, including assistant and associate professors, for playing truant and not attending duties for over a year surprised many. Questions were raised on why action was not taken earlier, despite the lapse of the stipulated period. The move apparently followed reported attempts to fill the long-pending vacancies amid ongoing protests by junior doctors, and surveys by senior residents highlighting faculty shortages in medical colleges. However, soon after the termination order gained media attention, it was put on hold, apparently following instructions from health minister Damodar Rajnarsimha’s office which apparently had its hands on some pulse that could not be detected by officials who were desperate to find replacements for those absconding from work, and worried that condoning truancy is the last thing the health department needs.
AP’s Subhash holds out a threat to BRS… again
Labour minister Vasamsetti Subhash apparently has his axe out for the BRS from Telangana. After his previous jabs about the Settibalija community and how this was undermined by Telangana former CM K. Chandrashekar Rao, Subhash had said that he was warned by BRS folks not to enter Hyderabad. After his recent visit to the Telangana capital, Subhash was back to his old ways, saying nothing happened to him while in Hyderabad, but if BRS leaders were ever to step into AP, then they will have him to reckon with. Leaving many wondering what is up with him and the BRS.
Contributions from L. Venkat Ram Reddy, Balu Pulipaka, Neeraj Kumar, Deepika Pasham, Rachel Dammala, Pillalamarri Srinivas
