Rama Krishna Sangem
After securing comfortable majority in the just held Telangana assembly elections, opposition Congress party is readying to form the new government. By all possibility, PCC president A Revanth Reddy is to be the next Chief Minister.
Present CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka will be the Deputy CM, as per sources in the party. Congress has won 65 out of the total 119 MLAs while ruling BRS confined to 39 and BJP 8 seats.
All the newly elected MLAs of Congress will be meeting tonight – December 3, Sunday at Ella Hotel in Gachibowli, Hyderabad to gather their opinion on the next CM. Karnataka Dy CM DK Shiva Kumar will be talking to the newly elected MLAs and he will be joined by three or four more AICC observers to conduct the process of opinion gathering. Chidambaram and Randeep Surjewala too may join the meeting.
Congress high command has been following a process of electing the new legislature party leader at the state level and that too through the opinion of the newly elected MLAs. This process was followed in this year May Karnataka assembly elections and it will be followed now in Telangana. Both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi don’t want to leave an impression that they would be deciding the new CM from Delhi through a “sealed cover”.
Revanth ahead in CM race
Revanth Redddy, 54 years, is ahead of other aspirants of CM post in the Congress as of now. Of the 65 MLAs of the party just elected he is being backed by not less than 55, say sources in the party. Another strong contender to the top post Bhatti Vikramarka too is believed to be enjoying the backing of around 8-10 MLAs. But some of the legislatures are also of the view that whoever is decided by the high command is Okay for them.
Actual process of election
Congress party would gather the views of the newly elected MLAs on Sunday night and send the details to the high command by December 4, Monday. The high command – Sonia, Rahul and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge – would approve of it and clear the name of the new leader. The CLP would again meet in Hyderabad either on Monday or Tuesday and formally elect Revanth as the new leader.
What I gathered on Sunday is that Bhatti would proposer the name of Revanth and two or three more leaders from different social backgrounds would endorse his candidature. After that they would inform the Governor of the choice of CLP. Then the Governor would formally appoint the new leader as CM designate and invite him to form the governent . That will take place on December 9, Sonia’s birthday at LB Stadium in Hyderabad.
Compared to Karnataka, election of CLP leader in Telangana would not take much time. Senior MLAs like Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Sridhar Babu and a few others who can create troubles to Revanth have paved the way for his elevation a t the CM. The only senior MLA Uttam Kumar Reddy may not accept Revanth as CM but he too would have to go by the majority opinion if he fails to muster enough support.
KCR concedes defeat, resigns
CM KCR conceded the defeat and put in his papers to Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Sunday evening. The governor has urged him to continue as caretaker CM till alternate arrangements are made. This is formality followed whenever a regime changes after elections. KCR sent his resignation letter through a special messenger. This helps formation of new Congress government next week.
