How Revanth Reddy carved a path for Mynampally’s Congress entry

Hyderabad: The 2018 Telangana Assembly elections saw many giant leaders lose. Anumula Revanth Reddy was one among them. He lost the Kodangal Assembly seat to BRS P Narender Reddy by a margin of 10,000 votes.

However, a few months later in 2019, he contested for the Malkajgiri Parliamentary seat and won with a majority of 10,000 votes against the then TRS party’s Marri Rajashekar Reddy. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy and Revanth Reddy, though lost Assembly seats, went on to become parliamentarians.

When Revanth Reddy won the Malkajgiri parliamentary seat — one of the biggest constituencies in India in terms of geography — Mynampally Hanumanth Rao from the BRS was the sitting MLA then. It is Mynampally’s cadre who also needs to be thanked for Revanth Reddy’s win, notwithstanding the difference in the parties.

The genesis of their association dates back to the good old Telugu Desam Party days in united Andhra Pradesh. Both are said to have their lineage from the yellow party. Mynampally was elected twice to the Assembly; his journey as a legislator began when he first won the by-elections from Ramayampet (the constituency was abolished in 2009). He later won the Medak seat. After serving five years as BRS MLA to Malkajgiri, he resigned on September 22 2023 over discontentment after his 25-year-old son Rohit Mynampally was not given the Medak ticket.

How Revanth Reddy carved a path for Mynampally’s Congress entry

While Mynampally was in the BRS, he continued to hold ‘good ties’ with Congress parliamentarian A Revanth Reddy, who later went on to become the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president. The ties benefited both as it helped Mynampally expand his cadre strength to Medchal and Secunderabad Cantonment from the existing Medak and Malkajgiri, while Revanth Reddy enjoyed the clout as the cadre equally worked for him.

Grooming of Rohit Mynampally began during the Covid-19 lockdown. The doctor-turned-politician launched the Mynampally Social Service Organisation and carried out humanitarian works in Medak, where his father was elected in 2009. It is pertinent to note that while Mynampally senior and junior had their eyes on Medak, Padma Devender Reddy, a former deputy speaker and a close aide of senior BRS leader T Harish Rao, is a sitting MLA. So, the divide within the party manifested.

Cut to August 21, 2023, the day when BRS supremo K Chandrashekar Rao released the first list of candidates. On the same morning, Mynampally vowed to defeat Harish Rao in a video. Rohit subsequently did not feature in the list.

Much before the lid blew off, anticipating trouble, Mynampally senior had met the top brass in the Congress through Revanth Reddy. Reportedly, the TPCC president connected Mynampally and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy to Congress MP KC Venugopal. Congress working committee invitee Damodhar Raja Narashimha and former minister Sridhar Babu worked towards strengthening the seal.

The meeting was also facilitated by members of a Kerala-based political outfit. They also had communication with top gun and Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister D K ShivaKumar.

Sources told NewsMeter that before the resignation was announced, Mynampally met Sunil Kanugolu, the poll strategist for Congress in Jaipur. The Congress reportedly assured Mynampally of three tickets; Malkajgiri, Medak and Medchal. Nakka Prabhakar, a close aide of Mynampally, is an aspiring candidate from Medchal.

On September 25, a senior Congress leader met Mynampally at his residence and he is likely to join the Congress on either September 26 or 27, in the presence of senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.

Interestingly, following Mynampally’s resignation, Alwal and Neeredmet circle Inspectors, Malkajgiri and Kushaiguda assistant commissioner of police were transferred in a span of 24 hours.

Will the INC follow the Udaipur Nav Sankalp Declaration?

“The principle of ‘one person, one post’ should be followed. Likewise, the principle of ‘one family, one ticket’ should also be ensured. In case another member of the family is politically active, they will be considered for a ticket only after five years of organisational experience,” the AICC Udaipur Nav Sankalp Declaration from May 15, 2022, said. But few have read the rider!

Demand high for two tickets in a family

As reported by senior political editor Gowri Shankar in NewsMeter, the demand for two tickets is on the rise in the Congress party. K Jana Reddy’s eldest son K Raghuveer Reddy has sought the Nagarjuna Sagar/Miryalaguda ticket while the youngest son applied for the Nagarjuna Sagar ticket.

Permanent invitee for the Congress Working Committee (CWC) Damodar Raja Narasimha, who represented Andole (SC) constituency in the past has also pitched in for his daughter Trisha. Mulug MLA D Anusuya, better known as Seethakka, has sought the Mulugu ticket while her son Danasari Surya is seeking a ticket from Pinapaka.

Senior party leaders and couple, Konda Murali and Konda Surekha are seeking two tickets; Surekha for Warangal East and Murali wants the Parkal ticket.

Former minister P Janardhan Reddy’s son, P Vishnuvardhan Reddy and sister corporator P Vijaya Reddy are vying for two tickets in the family. Vishnuvardhan Reddy made it clear that the Jubilee Hills constituency belongs to him. He even threatened former cricketer Mohd Azharuddin not to enter the constituency. His sister Vijaya Reddy is seeking a ticket for the Khairtabad Assembly constituency.

Former Secunderabad MP Anjan Kumar Yadav is seeking the Musheerabad Assembly ticket while his son and TPCC youth Congress general secretary Anil Kumar wants either Secunderabad or Goshamahal. He is also seeking a ticket for another son! Former Union Minister Balaram Naik too pitched in and sought tickets for himself and his son.

The list is long and the TPCC will certainly find it tough to deal with the ‘two ticket issue’! Now with many Congress leaders demanding tickets for the family members, the big question is will Congress stick to its Udaipur declaration?