Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee stormy petrel Revanth Reddy stormed to power mainly on the strength of his fiery speeches about taking on the Kalvakuntla family that had everyone buzzing through the poll campaign and continued with hardly any let-up thereafter. Probing corruption, ‘constructing 2BHKs in Cherlapally Jail and sending the family there’ sounded like a concrete item on his agenda. Fast forward a year and whispers are growing louder: Where’s the action? Political circles are of the considered view that not arresting any members of the family in question could hand the Bharatiya Janata Party a golden opportunity to target him and fuel public disenchantment. But here’s the catch: arresting the family patriarch K Chandrasekhar Rao might trigger a sympathy wave similar to the one riding which Chandrababu Naidu returned to power in the neighbouring state. “KTR, though, is a different story”, murmur a section of political strategists. With a section of the public having no love lost for KTR; any backlash might be less damaging and Formula E is a surefire weapon. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has not spoken his mind on Formula E case in public. If and when he does, it will be as convincing as his Assembly speech on Pushpa-2 stampede and Allu Arjun’s arrest. For newbies, after his Assembly speech on Allu Arjun, Revanth got an upper hand in the entire scene. On Formula E case too, he does have solid points. For now, the Congress seems to be walking a tightrope, trying to balance promises with political optics. Those close to Revanth say that keeping his word-strategically, of course – is not less important. The larger question is: Either way, will the public buy into it?
Lights, camera, action! The Cabinet Sub-Committee script
Although Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy strategically turned the spotlight on himself before and during his meeting with movie moguls; post that closely watched meeting, the corridors of power have been abuzz with whispers about the fade-out of Komatireddy Venkatreddy, the Cinematography Minister, who appears better aligned with the public than with the film industry over which he presides. For, post the high-profile meeting involving the CM, Dy CM, and TFI bigwigs, all eyes were on the composition of the promised Cabinet Sub-Committee to address issues concerning the film industry. But guess what? The plot thickened. Revanth reportedly wants Bhatti to head the committee, much to the chagrin of Komatireddy. Why? Because Komatireddy believes, as the Minister concerned, it is within his right to head the panel. But insiders hint that Revanth isn’t keen on having an “aggressive” minister like Komatireddy steering the ship. “Having Bhatti at the helm would strike a balance with the industry”, is said to be Revanth’s reasoning (or modifications in the script). Komatireddy, meanwhile, is holding his ground, as he is confident of the ultimate outcome of the show. He argues that sidelining him would set a precedent no Minister would tolerate. While the Chief Minister has remained tight-lipped, sources say the film industry is watching the drama scripted by AI (Anumula Intelligence) unfold like a nail-biting thriller. Circles within the industry and outside can’t wait for the final credits to roll!
Revanth’s take on divine dispensation and mundane ratings
Humankind believes in a multiplicity of Gods, Goddesses, the Almighty or whatever be the name(s) attributed to the divine dispensation under which people play their assigned parts and exit the stage, so to speak. TG Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy highlighted the lack of a universal figure even in the divine realm when asked about a section of people expressing their disenchantment with his leadership. In mundane terms, Revanth Reddy responded: “When even Gods don’t have 100% approval, how can I, a mere human, have it?” For once, he left everyone reflecting on his ponderous proposition that drew a parallel between divine dispensation and expectations from political leadership. Lending a philosophical touch, Revanth reportedly elaborated: “People pray to different Gods; in the same way, people have their preferences in leadership. But no God enjoys universal approval.” No wonder, the Chief Minister’s refrain has been: “I only need 51% approval to be in power”. A pragmatic politician, he seems least bothered by dissenting voices and has instead brought laser-like focus on retaining the critical mass of support he needs (and believes he has) to steer the state.
