Telangana Chief Minister Promises Prominent Position to Political Rival

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday, July 4, assured Mohd Gouse Rabbani, the Congress candidate he had defeated in the 2006 Zila Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) elections, that he would be given a prominent position in the state government. He directed Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka to identify a suitable post for Rabbani, and also asked him to take up the development of Midgil mandal, the place where Revanth Reddy began his political career. The Chief Minister was on a visit to Midgil to mark 20 years since his entry into politics, and addressed a public meeting at the same place where he had first contested as a member from Midgil mandal in the undivided Mahabubnagar district. Revanth Reddy had won as an independent ZPTC candidate from Midgil on July 4, 2006, defeating Rabbani, who contested on a Congress ticket. Since then, he has served as an independent MLC, as an MLA on Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Congress tickets, as a Congress Lok Sabha MP, as president of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) and finally as Chief Minister of Telangana. Recalling that journey at the public meeting, Revanth Reddy said that the Congress government led by YS Rajasekhara Reddy had, in 2006, decided to make Rabbani the Zila Parishad chairperson, which was the reason the party had fielded him as its ZPTC candidate from Midgil that year. “Rabbani had already served as the single-window chairman and as the block Congress president when I defeated him as an independent candidate. But his contribution to the Congress party over the last 35 years will not go in vain,” Revanth Reddy said, assuring him of a significant position in the government. During his address, the Chief Minister also targeted the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi ( BRS ) government, alleging that during its 10-year rule, the pink party chief, K Chandrasekhar Rao, acquired 100 acre of land for a farmhouse in Erravalli in Gajwel constituency, party working president KT Rama Rao built a farmhouse on 100 acre in Janwada and Siddipet MLA T Harish Rao built one on 50 acre in Moinabad. Taking to X on the occasion, Revanth Reddy described the last two decades of his political life as “a special phase,” one during which he went from being called “Revanth Reddy” to “Revanth Anna” by the people. He thanked everyone who had stood by him through every situation, incident and struggle over the years. Earlier in the day, he met people who had been part of his early political journey for a get-together, during which they discussed issues concerning Midgil. During his visit, Revanth Reddy offered prayers at the Pabbathi Anjaneya Swamy temple in Urukondapeta in Nagarkurnool district, where he also performed Bhumi Puja for development works planned at the temple. He laid foundation stones for various development works in Midgil, and unveiled statues of Dyapa Gopal Reddy, a prominent political figure from the Kalwakurthy and Nagarkurnool region, and of Dr BR Ambedkar, in Midgil on the occasion.