The mess called TPCC: Revanth apologises to Komatireddy

HYDERABAD: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee has instinctively inherited the ill-effects and internecine feuds, along with its formation upon the bifurcation of the State. After importing A Revanth Reddy from the Telugu Desam Party and bestowing him with all the opportunities to contest as an MLA from Kodangal; fielding him as an MP candidate from Malkajgiri Lok Sabha seat soon after his debacle in Kodangal, and an eventual elevation to the position of the TPCC president have smitten the senior leaders of the Congress in the state.

Some have "adjusted" to the political shenanigans of Revanth Reddy, while a lot of other leaders began showing their spine from the day one of his assuming charge as the Telangana Congress unit's boss.

In fact, Revanth Reddy brokered a peace between the TDP and the Congress and sutured the two parties together to form a grand alliance that fought KCR's TRS in 2018 Assembly elections. After a crushing defeat, the Congress had fallen into a disarray. But, as luck would have it, the Congress won three Lok Sabha seats and Revanth Reddy was one of them in 2019.

Once Revanth, an extremely vocal TDP man and a staunch votary of the Chandrababu Naidu school of thought, was endowed with the top job in the State Congress, seniors concluded that it was a part of a "quid pro quo" arrangement between him and the AICC.

Typical of a rabble rouser that he is, one must acknowledge the ability of Revanth Reddy in shaking and waking up the Telangana Congress from a deep slumber. But, that he has done not without incurring the wrath of the seniors. While Komatireddy Venkat Reddy was very vocal about his "righteous indignation" against Revanth Reddy's riding of roughshod on one and all, another winner N Utthamkumar Reddy too makes no bones about his vehement opposition to the style of functioning of Revanth.

Utthamkumar, however, has fitted himself with a 'silencer' that mellows down his decibel levels of criticism of the PCC chief far below the audible levels.

The Komatireddy politics

The Komatireddy brothers have been dabbling with the idea of switching sides for long. In fact, they had attempted to cross the floor to the TRS initially. But, KCR wasn't too willing to welcome them with 'open arms', for the TRS supremo's depth of calculation of equations are unfathomable.

Meanwhile, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy came out in the open against Revanth Reddy and as if to give the latter pinpricks, the Bhongir MP called on Home Minister Amit Shah the same day his younger brother Rajgopal Reddy met the BJP mandarin.

By declining to quit the Congress "for now", Venkat Reddy is acting as a proverbial thorn in the flesh of the TPCC.

The costly "slip of tongue"

The utterances of party functionary Addanki Dayakar against Venkat Reddy at a recent public meeting in Munugode further embarrassed Revanth.

The foul language used by Dayakar didn't go well with the Bhongir strongman. The open apology tendered by Dayakar did not douse the simmering rage of Venkat Reddy's supporters.

As he demanded that no less a person that Revanth Reddy, in whose presence Dayakar had made disparaging remarks against the Bhongir MP, must apologise, the TPCC chief released a video tendering an "unconditional apology". But is it too late? It's a matter of time for the clouds to get cleared.

As if to rub the political salt hard on the "wounded" Komatireddy brothers, suspected Congressmen affixed posters at Narayanapuram village in Yadadri-Bhongir district against Rajgopal Reddy calling him names. It depicted him as a 'betrayer of Sonia Gandhi' and switched sides for a Rs 22,000-crore contract. The poster alleged that Rajgopal had joined hands with the Amit Shah who instigated an Enforcement Directorate's raid on Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. "Munugode will not pardon you," it said.

This enraged Komatireddy bothers further.

While Revanth said that the matter of Dayakar would be referred to the disciplinary committee chairman G Chinna Reddy, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy demanded suspension of Dayakar from the Congress. The TPCC chief's apology comes just before he commenced padayatra in Munugode Assembly constituency. Venkat Reddy asserted that he would not participate in the padayatra.

It may be curtains for the Congress in erstwhile Bhongir district if the older sibling of the Komatireddy brothers too decides to pull the plug from the Congress.

While Revanth and Dayakar tendered open apologies and the latter repeated it, now it's for Komatireddy Venkat Reddy to decide whether or not to budge. If he budges, it's tantamount to chickening out from a showdown with Revanth Reddy. If he doesn't, he will be painted as "adamant" for not being graceful in accepting the apology and forgiving the erring colleague.