Interview: Revanth wave is stronger than Modi wave in Chevella: Dr. Ranjith Reddy

Hyderabad: Dr Gaddam Ranjith Reddy wears many hats. A businessman, a politician, and once close aide of former Chief Minister KCR. After the Assembly polls, Dr Reddy switched sides from BRS to Congress.

Contesting on a Congress ticket, Dr. Reddy is taking on BJP's Konda Vishveswara Reddy, another businessman turned politician in the Chevella Lok Sabha constituency.

Dr Reddy believes that the Revanth wave is stronger than the Modi wave in Chevella. A confident Dr Reddy says Congress will win high number of seats.

On the same day when BRS working President K. T Rama Rao called him a backstabber, Dr. Ranjith Reddy labeled former CM K Chandrashekhar Rao as a 'good leader and administrator'. He says he is close to the family and won't dismiss what the BRS has done for the state in the last 10 years.

Given the development works in Chevella and ongoing health and education projects, he says the Bharat Rashtra Samithi cadre insisted him to contest Lok Sabha elections again.

In a free-wheeling talk with Coreena Suares and Kaniza Garari, Dr. Reddy poured his heart out about his decision to join Congress and why he wanted to take a break from politics. Excerpts

NM: What have been your achievements in the last five years as Chevella MP? How much funds you have been able to get for the constituency?

Dr Reddy: Shifting of zones from Ranga Reddy to Mahabubnagar made it difficult for the youth to secure jobs. My first work in Chevella was to get their zone shifted back to Ranga Reddy district. Abolishing GO 111 was another achievement. This was the demand of all the three political parties and the people. Irrigation works were another achievement. I must acknowledge the role of former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao in ensuring that the works were taken up. The project was a big satisfaction. National Highway works have been sanctioned. It is important because so many lives are lost to accidents. Those works will also start soon.

Chevella bus stand was renovated for the first time after 1970. We constructed a stadium and I paid Rs 50 lakh from my own pocket. The free diagnostic ambulance goes around Chevella for the health check-ups of people in rural areas. People also get free treatment at my hospital.

Development is a continuous process, it must not stop. If it stops, there are chances that the other person may not keep up the pace.

NM: Is this the reason that you switched from BRS to Congress? Why not the BJP?

Dr Reddy: As I said development is a continuous process and I have started the works in Chevella which I want to continue.

After BRS lost in the Assembly elections, the mood in the party was very somber. BRS cadres were not motivated and their morale was very low. Many surveys have confirmed this.

The talk in BRS circles was what if we win the parliamentary elections, will it help? This kind of conversation failed to give a kick for contesting elections.

I was not interested in contesting polls and I had also conveyed it to KCR. I also conveyed it to my team, but they were not happy. Multiple surveys were carried out to feel the pulse. There were back-and-forth discussions on what must be done. The core team said that the existing development works must continue and the mood of the people showed that they were in favor of the Congress party. There was also an offer from the Congress party.

These aspects were factored in and accordingly, I decided to join Congress. My opponent is Konda Visheshwar Reddy of BJP. The fight is between Congress and BJP in Chevella.

NM: Is the Congress cadre working for you given that the leaders were very upset with you?

Dr Reddy: Health and education benefits in my constituency have reached Congress cadres as well during my tenure as BRS MP. I never differentiated between people. Congress workers along with the BRS cadre are now working together for my victory.

NM: What went wrong in the Assembly polls for BRS?

Dr Reddy: KCR is a leader of the people, but the party could not keep up the pace. People were complaining about the unavailability of leaders. Not being able to take the right decision at the right time. There were delays in taking decisions.

NM: Do you think Congress can fulfill six guarantees when the state is staring at a financial crisis?

Dr Reddy: Initially, I also doubted the Congress party's six guarantees. I was apprehensive about whether they would be able to fulfill the promise. But it is now clear that they are implementing and people are happy with six guarantees. In my first conversation with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, he explained how the finances are being managed to fulfill the six guarantees. They have implemented this despite not getting any fresh financial resources for the guarantees. CM Revanth Reddy is very clear about how to manage the financial resources for the schemes. In the old schemes, undeserving people benefitted.

Four months on, the Congress government has done well in terms of placement of officers, fulfillment of jobs, and implementation of their schemes.

NM: You are close to the KCR family and how they reacted when you decided to join Congress?

Dr Reddy: I have worked for the BRS for 20 years. I have been in active politics for the last 5 years. I am definitely close to the KCR family. I told them that I would not contest from BRS. I believe KCR is a good leader and an administrator. The party has done wonderful things for the state. To date, many are unable to introspect why and how the party lost.

NM: Will Revanth Reddy or Congress factor help you?

Dr Reddy: Chevella has 15 percent Muslims, 15 percent Madigaas and 13 to 14 percent Mudiraj. When it comes to Muslims, they will vote for Congress and not the BJP

For Madigas and Mudiraj, the votes will be divided between the three parties.

For the Muslims, safety and security matter the most and they will vote for Congress. Well, many factors will help including the mood of the voters, public support for Congress, and six guarantees.

NM: If you are elected as a Congress MP and have BJP as your principal opponent at the center, how will you get funds and projects for the constituency?

Dr Reddy: At the central level, we will fight as a party. Bringing projects and funds to the state is the job of the Congress as a whole and I am a part of it. I will also work to get projects sanctioned locally, from municipalities, like I did in the last 5 years.

Inputs by Coreena Suares