Revanth Reddy To Be Telangana CM

NEW DELHI (IANS) – Ending the suspense, the Congress on December 5 named A. Revanth Reddy as the chief minister of Telangana.

The announcement was made by AICC general secretary K. C. Venugopal in the national capital on December 4 evening.

Revanth Reddy will take oath as the chief minister on December 7, he said.

He will be the second chief minister of Telangana and succeeds K. Chandrasekhar Rao, whose party BRS lost power to Congress in the elections held on November 30, after ruling the state for two terms.

Soon after the announcement by the party in Delhi, Revanth Reddy left for his residence from a hotel where he was staying along with all MLAs since December 3.

Senior leaders Uttam Kumar Reddy and Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, who were in the race for the chief minister’s post, are still camping in Delhi along with AICC general secretary in-charge for Telangana, Manikrao Thakare and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.

The central leaders are likely to consult Revanth Reddy on the composition of the state Cabinet.

Venugopal told reporters at AICC headquarters that the Congress President decided to go with Revanth Reddy, as the leader of the Telangana Congress Legislature Party. Venugopal said that Revanth Reddy is a dynamic leader who campaigned extensively in the state with other senior leaders like Uttam Kumar Reddy and Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka.

“AICC is very sure that the first and foremost priority of the new government is to fulfil the aspirations of the people of Telangana, especially the guarantees we have given to the people,” he said.

“This is going to be a clean and very energetic and able government which is going to provide maximum governance to people of Telangana,” he added.

Venugopal evaded replies to queries about deputy chief minister and ministers saying the party will recognize all the senior leaders.

“It’s going to be a team, not a one-man show. The Congress will go with the team,” he said.

The announcement came a day after newly elected MLAs of Congress authorized AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge to appoint the leader of CLP.

Kharge decided after consultation with party MP Rahul Gandhi and Venugopal and taking into consideration the report submitted by AICC observer D.K. Shivakumar, who was present at the meeting of MLAs in Hyderabad on Monday.

Revanth Reddy is currently the president of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee and led the party’s election campaign.