By Oracle
Congress contestant from Kodangal Assembly constituency A Revanth Reddy is trying to play the victim card, by concealing the offensive he went on that triggered the midnight swoop and his arrest.
When the Congress, which is heavily banking on Revanth Reddy perceiving him to be one of the hot favourites of the Chief Minister’s gaddi in the event of Mahakutami or Prajakutami winning the polls in Telangana, naturally the ruling TRS is compelled to focus on his constituency too.
The three constituencies where the Congress is betting on its war horses are Kodangal, Huzur Nagar (TPCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy is seeking a reelection from here), and Madhira (TPCC Campaign Committee chairman Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka is contesting here for another term).
Minister KT Rama Rao said that all these three leaders would lose.
Revanth Reddy, who developed cold feet as the polling day was nearing, began his offensive. He said he would prevent Chief Minister and TRS supreme K Chandrashekar Rao from campaigning in Kodangal. In fact, the Chief Minister has scheduled a public meeting in Kodangal. He called for a bandh and planned protest programmes.
This precipitated the matter that led the Election Commission to take stock of the situation. Chief Electoral Officer of Telangana Rajath Kumar asked the Director-General of Police M Mahender Reddy to ensure that there was no law and order problem in Kodangal. Accordingly, the police took Revanth Reddy into a preventive arrest.
With a view to playing the victim card, by sweeping his protest plans and bandh call under the proverbial carpet, Revanth Reddy began crying hoarse. Any losing candidate would do this, for any such complaining stems from
Though several Congress leaders and analysts came in support of Revanth Reddy alleging that the Government was enforcing a Draconian Law and denying Revanth Reddy the right to canvass and protest, their argument doesn’t seem to be tenable.
For, Revanth Reddy has no business whatsoever to prevent the president of a ruling party in a State from campaigning for his party nominee. In a democracy, rights are common to all citizens, more so during election time, as the law and order would be under the control of the Election Commission of India and not the State Government.
Stoking rebellion against the KCR Regime isn’t new to Revanth Reddy and he can very well protest against KCR and demand the development of his constituency, even after the elections. However, he cannot take the law into his hands and create a law and order problem at a place the Chief Minister is going to hold a public meeting.
Revanth, who belongs to the Telugu Desam school of politics, maybe thinking that pitting his wife and daughter against the police and make them question the arrest and method followed, etc., may earn sympathy for him. However, he would be living in a fool’s paradise, if he thinks it would garner sympathy.
Actually, it recoils. For, it’s Revanth Reddy who threw his hands into the air as he found his campaign was losing steam and that he has an uphill task cut out for himself in the elections. Winning doesn’t seem easy for him.
First, he egged on the Income Tax department on his rival contestant Patnam Narender Reddy (TRS) and floated a rumour that they caught a huge haul of cash from the possession of the TRS nominee’s relatives. As it turned out to be a small amount, Revanth Reddy began to work on a design that could extricate him from the trouble. Meanwhile, as ill-luck would have it, he was paid back on the same coin by the authorities.
And, now the arrest drama. The Superintendent of Police of Vikarabad district Annapurna has the last laugh in the entire episode. The SP announced that Revanth Reddy would be released from preventive custody, once the Chief Minister’s public meeting is over and he let the place.