Has CM Revanth Reddy admitted defeat in 5 LS seats in Telangana?

Hyderabad: Has Anumula Revanth Reddy, the Chief Minister of Telangana, admitted losing five Lok Sabha seats even before elections are held in Telangana? Is it a big strategic mistake? It looks like so.

Revanth Reddy who is also president of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) recently said that Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) led by Kalvakuntla Chandrasekhar Rao colluded with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to defeat Congress in Mahabubnagar, Chevella, Malkajgiri, Zaheerabad and Bhongiri Lok Sabha seats.

He even went on to say that KCR took supari (contract for killing) from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to do this. According to him, this election favour from KCR is in exchange for bail to his daughter Kalvakuntla Kavitha who is languishing in Tihar jail in multiple cases filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Delhi liquor scam case.

He made these comments at the Jana Jatara election meeting at Narayanpet in Telangana recently. Narayanpet Assembly constituency is a part of Mahabubnagar Parliamentary constituency from where Challa Vamshi Chand Reddy is in fray from Congress. By saying this, Revanth Reddy has done a strategic blunder as his open comment makes it abundantly clear that Congress is weak in these five constituencies. That will obviously demoralise the Congress’ cadre while giving a fillip to rivals. Further, Congress is relatively stronger in Bhongiri though it is on a sticky wicket in four other constituencies that he mentioned in his speech. “Clubbing Bhongiri with four other constituencies is another mistake as such a narrative will weaken Congress in Bhongiri as well”, a political analyst said. Political observers feel that such issues should be discussed internally. There is also a view that openly talking about collusion of rivals against him in Mahabubnagar Lok Sabha seat would have had some positive impact as it’s his home constituency.

Further, Revanth Reddy and his Congress colleagues labeled BRS as B-team of BJP during the last November’s Assembly polls and built a strong narrative on those lines. They continued it even after Congress won the Assembly polls. A similar strategy is being pursued for the Lok Sabha polls also. If this narrative is true, why will BRS help saffron party only in these five constituencies? BRS will as well help BJP in all other constituencies wherever the former is weak.

It looks like CM Revanth Reddy is being misguided on the Lok Sabha polls which are scheduled to be held in Telangana on May 13.