Congress MLA Komatireddi Rajagopal Reddy’s comments that Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy will be next Chief Minister of Telangana have triggered turmoil in Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s camp. It may be an open secret as longest serving TPCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy claimedIn as natural choice for the Congress party to become Chief Minister of the state after the party gained majority in the Assembly.
However, with mass mobilization against the previous KCR government Revanth Reddy has emerged as the strong contender attracting the attention of the party top leadership and became the first Congress chief minister of Telangana. Since then, Uttam Kumar Reddy is seen as impatient. He has been creating troubles for Revanth Reddy by projecting `Dalit Face and Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka as an alternative to him.
Moreover, in the erstwhile Nalgonda district Komatireddy brothers are known as strop opponents of Uttam Kumar Reddy. Minister Komatireddy Venkata Reddy, who was also a strong contender for Chief Minister post, surprisingly after formation of Congress government turned to be a strong supporter of Revanth Reddy.
When Congress high-command chose Revanth as TPCC chief, Venkata Reddy pledged that he will not enter TPCC Office till Revanth Reddy continued in that seat. On the other hand, his brother Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy resigned from Congress opposing Revanth’s leadership and joined BJP. But he was disappointed with his defeat in the by-election allegedly due to `backstab’ by some key BJP leaders.
Later returning to Congress, though he became MLA continue to be with discontent as failed to get cabinet berth, mostly due to his brother Venkata Reddy becoming minister. Since then, gap between Komatireddy brothers has continued.
Very recently, Komatireddy Venkata Reddy predicted that Revanth Reddy will continue as Chief Minister for the next 10 years. In return, Revanth Reddy also said that Venkata Reddy has all qualities to become Chief Minister.
But, the sudden comment from Rajgopal Reddy projecting Uttamkumar Reddy as potential leader to become chief minister created political turmoil in the Congress party.
“Very soon, we will all be calling him as Chief Minister. In future, you will become the Chief Minister. I have moles on my tongue and whatever I profess turns true. I am not saying this for fun,” Rajgopal Reddy said.
However, his comments triggered a turmoil in the Congress. Rajgopal Reddy has been eyeing a Cabinet berth and had even claimed that the high command would allot him the Home Ministry portfolio, which was currently being held by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.