Telangana Assembly Election | CLP meeting underway, Revanth Reddy likely to emerge as the CM choice

No clarity on the oath date though AICC wants it to be the earliest

Telangana Congress president A. Revanth Reddy addressing media at Gandhi Bhavan in Hyderabad on December 3, 2023. | Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G

Telangana Congress president, A. Revanth Reddy in all likelihood will be the next Chief Minister of Telangana with the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting underway right now at a private hotel in Hyderabad.

Sources said the All India Congress Committee (AICC) is in favour of Mr. Reddy realising that he also enjoys the support of maximum number of MLAs who have indicated that their support will be for him.

The meeting going on right now under the supervision of AICC observer and Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka D.K. Shivakumar will take the final call and then the team will immediately head to Raj Bhavan to submit the letter to Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan.

Earlier, Mr. Dk Shivakumar met with Nalgonda MP N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka and Munugode MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy at another hotel. The meeting assumes importance as Mr. Uttam Reddy and Mr. Vikramarka too are in the race. Mr. Rajgopal Reddy is the brother of Mr. Komatireddy Venkata Reddy. 

The party will face a tough task in accommodating Mr. Uttam Reddy, Mr. Rajgopal Reddy and Mr. Venkata Reddy in the Cabinet as they all hail from Nalgonda district and belong to the Reddy community. The caste arithmetic doesn’t suit to accommodate all of them.

No clarity on Oath taking today

There is no clarity on who will take oath along with the Chief Ministerial candidate or whether it will be today or in a couple of days. So far, the Governor’s office has not received any letter from the Congress party or a letter seeking the Governor’s time for taking oath.

Raj Bhavan sources said the delegation that met the Governor on Sunday night only explained the procedure that the Congress would follow and said they would come back once the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader is elected.

Telangana Congress president A. Revanth Reddy with party leaders N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, D.K. Shivakumar and Manikrao Thakre meets Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan to stake claim to form the government in the state, at Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad, on December 3, 2023. | Photo Credit: PTI

“So far, there is no such indication. But they made it clear yesterday that they would come back,” a highly placed source in Raj Bhavan told The Hindu. The Governor’s office will inform the media if there is any request from the Congress party for the oath taking ceremony today.

Senior leaders confided with The Hindu that the party doesn’t want to waste time forming the government as it has a clear majority. “Why should we leave scope for resort politics and send a wrong signal to the people?,” asked a senior leader.

The AICC high command too is of the view that when the people have reposed faith in the party, there should not be any ambiguity in its approach too. There are rumours of a Deputy Chief Minister also taking oath but so far none of the party leaders have confirmed it.

But before this process begins, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Vikas Raj has to submit a list of the elected candidates to the Governor and the Gazette notification of the same. Mr Vikas Raj is likely to meet the Governor anytime and submit the report.