Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy asked Congress BLAs to go door-to-door to ensure 100 per cent enumeration
For Revanth BLOs Won’t Win Elections, BLAs Might
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has given Congress leaders a blunt electoral reality check: stop worrying about Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and start focusing on Booth Level Agents (BLAs). With the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls underway, Revanth placed the responsibility squarely on Congress BLAs to ensure that not a single eligible voter is left out.
The Chief Minister expressed shock that even his own Kodangal Assembly constituency had completed SIR enumeration for only 78 per cent of voters, leaving 22 per cent pending. He said government-appointed BLOs would continue to receive their salaries regardless of the outcome, but the Congress could pay a heavy political price if voters were missed. “BLOs have nothing to lose. We have elections to lose,” was the thrust of Revanth’s message. He asked Congress BLAs to go door-to-door to ensure 100 per cent enumeration. As Chief Minister, he said he was responsible for all 119 constituencies and questioned how he could raise concerns over poor SIR progress elsewhere when his own Kodangal constituency was lagging behind.
Thigh-Slapping Malla Tongue-Tied in Revanth’s Court
Once known as one of the most vocal supporters of BRS supremos K. Chandrashekar Rao and K.T. Rama Rao, former minister and BRS MLA Chamakura Malla Reddy is now at the centre of political speculation not for what he said, but for what he didn’t. The man who famously challenged then TPCC chief A. Revanth Reddy in “Balayya style” by slapping his thigh sat quietly beside the Chief Minister at a public meeting last week as Revanth launched a no-holds-barred attack on KCR and KTR. Malla Reddy neither protested nor walked off the dais. He did not interrupt Revanth, raise an objection or, more intriguingly, issue a statement condemning the Chief Minister’s remarks, even days later. His silence has now become louder than his earlier political bravado, triggering speculation that the BRS MLA may be contemplating an exit from the party. BRS social media warriors have seized on the episode, trolling Malla Reddy and questioning how he could remain a silent spectator while Revanth took KCR and KTR to task “left, right and centre.”
Revanth Cracks The Whip, Gandhi Bhavan Falls Silent
Deserted. That one word amply describes Gandhi Bhavan, the TPCC headquarters, these days. The Congress office, normally buzzing with activity, no longer appears to be the workplace of the ruling party, thanks to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s warning that partymen refrain from making rounds of Gandhi Bhavan and instead focus on their respective bases to efficiently carry out SIR-related work. With the exception of minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy’s face-to-face programme on Wednesday, leaders who visited the premises over the past week were surprised to find the ruling party’s state headquarters deserted as never before in the past five to six years. “Only during the Covid-19 pandemic was the situation similar,” a leader said.
Old guard vs new blood, grudge politics grip Cong.
The age-old battle between the old and the new is slowly turning into a churn within the Congress in Nalgonda district, thanks to divisions within the party along the lines of the “original Congress” and the “hybrid Congress”. Long-time party leaders fear this is resulting in groupism within the party. The rift is reportedly widening between Congress old-timers and those who joined the party from other political parties just before or after the 2023 elections, seeking to capitalise on the political opportunities that emerged after the Congress swept to power. Senior Congress leaders, who claim they are the original members who stood by the party through thick and thin, are slowly but surely making their feelings known; creating a situation that could soon become a headache for the party leadership. These divisions are leading to polarisation within the party in the erstwhile Nalgonda district, once considered a Congress stronghold.
Frequent Flyer Principal Secy Raises Eyebrows
The travel itinerary of education department principal secretary Yogita Rana has become the latest talking point in Telangana’s bureaucratic circles. The IAS officer has been part of government delegations that travelled to Finland, Switzerland and Germany within a span of just three months from April to July to study international best practices in education and submit recommendations to the state government. Now, the grapevine is buzzing over yet another proposed foreign trip.
The education department has reportedly sent a proposal seeking to include Yogita in an upcoming delegation to Japan. The proposal is said to have been forwarded to the Chief Minister’s Office for approval, with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy himself holding the education portfolio. However, the buzz is that the CMO has reportedly turned down the proposal, apparently wary that sending the same officer on multiple foreign trips within a short period could invite criticism. Another concern doing the rounds is that files in the education department have piled up, with the principal secretary reportedly spending considerable time abroad.
Contributions from L Venkat Ram Reddy, Neeraj Kumar, Md Nizamuddin, P Srinivas, Sampat G Samritan, Vadrevu Srinivas
