By Oracle
As if the all too many leaders in the race for the top job in the State are not enough, the Congress has scored a self-goal by portraying an ill-reputed “imported” politician, who was caught with wads of currency trying to buy an MLA, as its star campaigner.
By now, the personality would have crossed the minds of every one. Yes, it is A Revanth Reddy, the political turncoat, who embarked on his journey with the TRS, crossed over to the TDP and later exported by his “boss” N Chandrababu Naidu into the Congress.
The TDP-Congress alliance and requisitioning of the services of Karnataka’s DK Shiv Kumar to handle this piece were all executed at the behest of Chandrababu Naidu, with the active involvement of Revanth Reddy. When the alliance was announced, those in the know of things were not surprised, for Revanth Reddy’s floor-crossing finally amounted to just a “transfer” from the TDP to the Congress with no great ideological shift.
Revanth Reddy, who acquired the image of a rabble-rouser after the cash-for-vote case, began posturing himself as an aggressive politician to take on KCR and the TRS.
He announced that he would campaign in 100 Assembly constituencies in the State up to December 5. The Election Commission of India too permitted Revanth Reddy to use a chopper in his capacity as “star campaigner”. Another newspaper reported that Revanth Reddy would address as many as 28 public meetings.
The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Campaign Committee chairman Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Leader of the Opposition in the just-dissolved Assembly K Jana Reddy, Gadwal Congress candidate DK Aruna, Maheswaram contestant Sabitha Indra Reddy and many others, who are angling for the position of the Chief Minister in the event of the Kutami making it to power, have conceded to Revanth Reddy’s sudden stardom.
However, Revanth, whose old habits die hard, constantly praise and defend his former official boss and current ‘proxy’ boss Chandrababu Naidu, relegating Congress brass, including Rahul Gandhi, to second rung.
Revanth’s mission and efforts without a doubt indicate that he wants Naidu to be the ruler of Telangana or at least should hold the remote-control for the State in his hands. The TDP supermo too is making all efforts just to regain his lost ground in Telangana through Revanth Reddy.
The 133-year-old Congress, which claims that it has granted the separate Telangana State, doesn’t have a homegrown leader who can heli-hop the State to draw crowds. Not that Revanth Reddy would actually draw more crowds or influence the electorate.
The Congress, which seemed to have given up on the elections, for it was caught unawares when KCR recommended the dissolution of the House and announced 105 candidates on the same day, took a long time to wake up from the political slumber.
Revanth Reddy’s helicopter tour reminds one of a religious guru who used to sport choppers and claim to be owning several aircraft. Who is funding Revanth Reddy’s helicopter expense? Is it the Congress or Chandrababu Naidu remains a million-dollar question? Who is robbing Peter to pay Paul?