Former Minister N. Raghuveera Reddy’s loyalty to the Congress leadership at the height of the bifurcation process after former Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy’s open revolt has paid off what with the high command anointing him to the top post.
He along with seniors such as Anam Ramanarayana Reddy and PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana took the view that they would stand by the party as disciplined soldiers during the turbulent times the party had faced. This avowed stand seems to have clinched the issue in favour of Mr. Raghuveera as the party looked at a weaker sections leader to head the party in Seemandhra after the influential Reddy community ditched the Congress to favour the YSR Congress.
Mr. Raghuveera Reddy said the task is challenging but exuded confidence that he would try his best. He said he would try to explain the circumstances that led the Congress to grant Telangana. The new PCC chief said that he would stress on the special package for Seemandhra.
A die-hard loyalist of former CM Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Mr. Raghuveera Reddy was born in Neelakantapuram village in Madakasira mandal of Anantapur district in February 1957. The 57-year-old leader was first elected to the Assembly in 1989 and had a brief stint as Animal Husbandry Minister in 1993-94. He lost the 1994 and 1999 elections but won the 2004 polls from Madaksira and 2009 elections from Kalyandurg constituency. He was the Agriculture and Civil Supplies Minister in YSR Cabinet in 2004-2010 and Revenue Minister in the Kiran government.
