Book on VHR, a Congress staunch loyalist who swayed Telangana politics

Hyderabad: He is one politician, who is always in the news, making right and wrong noises, at times putting his own party/government in a fix. But he remains a committed Congressman, defiant whether in a post or not!

Senior Congress leader Vutpalamala Hanumantha Rao’s (VHR) life story, particularly his foray into politics, becoming Youth Congress president, Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president, MLA, minister, MLC and three times Rajya Sabha, makes interesting reading.

Missed CM gaddi

He missed becoming chief minister by his comment “I am not in the race” in 1990 when Dr M Channa Reddy was being replaced after communal riots in Hyderabad and now kept in a loop by the Congress High Command which was backing young leaders, including turncoats to keep the party flag flying in the country and various states including Telangana State.

However, 76-year-old V Hanumantha Rao, a senior Congress leader who is known for unflinching loyalty to the Gandhi family continues to hold sway in Telangana politics.

VHR life story in book

Keen to reach out to people through his saga of life story and alert Congress High Command that ‘I am down but now out,’ VHR has come out with his new book in English “VHR, The Extraordinary Life and Times of V Hanumantha Rao.”

The 224-page book explains in multiple chapters about his birth in 1948, a year after India gained independence to parents Vutpalamala Lakshmaiah and Vutpalamala Rangamma in Rajapur village of Mahbubnagar district and relocated to Amberpet in Hyderabad, rose from Hanumantha Rao to ‘Hanumanthanna’ after a revolt against local zamindar, joining Congress and holding various positions in the country’s oldest party.

But his political innings make very interesting reading including his rise in Congress thanks to late Sanjay Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and his close association with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi—the entire Gandhi clan!

The book certainly has political masala that could raise some dust in the Congress circles and government!

It’s not book, a life reality!

“This is not a book, but a life reality, a saga of my struggle in politics, the opportunities given by the Congress for me and thousands of others in the country and the Gandhi legacy. One can achieve success if one is sincere and committed to the party. Ultimately, loyalists will have the last laugh,” asserts VHR. The Telugu version of the book was written by Kambhalapalli Krishna Rao and this book is a translation with additional new episodes.

VHR tells how he helped many aspiring youth Congress leaders in undivided Andhra Pradesh and Telangana State, who went on to become party leaders, MLAs, MLCs, MPs, ministers and CM and how he was equally ditched by ‘trusted’ colleagues in the party.

The book gives insights into his skirmishes with late chief minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy, and Union minister P Shiv Shanker to present deputy chief minister Bhatti Vikramarka and many others and how they allegedly ditched him at crucial times!

Uttam episode

It also narrates how Irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy provoked him against chief minister A Revanth Reddy becoming TPCC president, but on the advice of the Congress High Command, he backed him for TPCC president and subsequently CM!

Revanth Reddy joined the Congress party in 2017 and unsuccessfully contested the Assembly elections from Kodangal constituency in 2018. The party appointed him and two others as Congress working president before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

VHR called on Revanth Reddy at the latter’s home, who introduced him to his family members. Hanumantha Rao reportedly advised him to contest from Malkajgiri constituency while the media was agog with stories that he was against Revanth Reddy joining the Congress party.

While Revanth Reddy won the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 from Malkajgiri, Uttam Kumar Reddy, then TPCC president, was elected from Nalgonda.

While Uttam Kumar Reddy’s term as PCC president was coming to an end, an exercise was underway in New Delhi to choose his successor. Revanth Reddy was trying to become TPCC president. Hanumanth Rao who was camping in New Delhi backed him.

VHR, in the book, alleges that Uttam Kumar Reddy provoked him stating that Revanth Reddy joined the Congress a few days back and is likely to become TPCC president. KC Venugopal was reportedly supporting Revanth Reddy and Uttam asked VHR, “Don’t you know that in the past Revanth described Sonia Gandhi as Bali Devata (Goddess seeking sacrifice) who claimed the lives of 1,200 Telangana activists during the agitation for separate Telangana.”

VHR feigned ignorance about the comment, but Uttam Kumar Reddy to prove his allegation called someone and got the video clipping. The video infuriated VHR and he called on Venugopal and questioned his decision to back Revanth Reddy.

When VHR was informed that it was the decision of the Congress High Command, he decided to support Revanth Reddy.

“Uttam Kumar, who at one time could not digest the fact of Revanth Reddy becoming PCC president, is now a minister in his cabinet!” says VHR.

Tiff with Bhatti

Another interesting episode in the book is about deputy chief minister Bhatti Vikramarka, who allegedly did not support VHR for the Khammam Lok Sabha seat.

While Hanumantha Rao claimed he backed Bhatti for the deputy CM’s post as he was a loyal party leader and a Dalit, Bhatti did not support him for the Lok Sabha ticket from Khammam in 2019.

“I have information that you did not refer my name to the High Command for the Khammam Lok Sabha constituency. I will take a vow in Peddamma temple at Jubilee Hills that you did not refer to my name. Are you ready to accept the challenge?” VHR reportedly asked Bhatti. Bhatti Vikramarka denied the charge and also refused to take a vow.

Similarly, in the 2024 elections, Bhatti again ignored VHR's plea and backed his wife Nandini. Yet again his seniority and sincerity went unrewarded.

PV prefers son over VHR

In the past too, prime minister PV Narasimha Rao in the 1996 Lok Sabha elections, ignored VHR for the Secunderabad Lok Sabha ticket and instead gave it to his son PV Rajeshwara Rao. And the man he alleged misled him was then senior Congress leader and ex-Union Minister G Venkatswamy.

VHR says PV Narasimha Rao later confided to him that it was G Venkatswamy who told PV not to give the ticket to VHR. “If VHR got elected as MP, he would have to be given a berth in the Union Cabinet. That would bring the wrath of the Reddy community on PV.”

Jaipal Reddy’s double-speak

Another interesting episode in the book narrates how former Union Minister and senior Congress leader S Jaipal Reddy played a double game and backed Telangana separatists and integrationists!

The book also narrates an incident when ex-APCC president M Satyanarayana Rao necked him out of his home.

Kiran Kumar Reddy chocolate connection!

Hanumantha Rao believes that the motive behind choosing N Kiran Kumar Reddy as the last CM of undivided AP was senior Congress leader P Chidambaram's son’s connection.

He alleges that Kiran Kumar Reddy’s brother owned a chocolate company in Chittoor of which P Chidambaram’s son was a dealer in Tamil Nadu. By virtue of these connections, several meetings took place between Kiran Kumar Reddy and P Chidambaram, culminating in Reddy becoming CM. Replacing K Rosaiah with Kiran Kumar Reddy as CM was attributed to the Telangana Statehood issue.

On the positive side, the book narrates how he cajoled Indira Gandhi to see that Rajiv Gandhi, then an Indian Airlines pilot, join active politics and take up the Congress mantle, how he persuaded the latter to become prime minister, his support to Sonia Gandhi instead of Maneka Gandhi, how he helped YS Rajasekhar Reddy in becoming APCC president etc. etc.

VHR lists out names of several Congress leaders who occupied pivotal positions in the party and government due to his backing.

As a Congress loyalist, VHR held several posts in the party and government including APCC president, MLA, MLC, Minister, Rajya Sabha MP thrice etc.

A known BC leader, VHR who organised Rajiv Sabha Bhavana Yatras and backed Bharat Jodo Yatra, is keen to see Rahul Gandhi as prime minister of India one day. “My only goal now is to see Rahul Gandhi as Prime Minister of India and Congress loyalists are rightly rewarded,” VHR asserted.