REVANTH REDDY

Anumula Revanth Reddy (born November 8, 1969) is an Indian politician currently serving as the Chief Minister of Telangana, a position he has held since December 7, 2023. He represents the Kodangal constituency in the Telangana Legislative Assembly and is affiliated with the Indian National Congress (INC).

Before becoming Chief Minister, Revanth Reddy served as a Member of Parliament for the Malkajgiri constituency. In July 2021, he was appointed president of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee. Under his leadership, the Congress party won the 2023 Telangana Legislative Assembly elections, overcoming the incumbent Bharat Rashtra Samithi.

Early life and personal life:

Anumula Revanth Reddy was born on November 8, 1969, in Konda Reddy Pally, Mahboobnagar district, which is now part of Nagarkurnool district in Telangana, India. He completed his Bachelor of Arts degree from Andhra Vidyalaya College, Osmania University, Hyderabad.

Revanth Reddy is married to Geetha, who is the niece of former union minister Jaipal Reddy. The couple has a daughter.

Political career:

Early political career:

During his student years, Anumula Revanth Reddy was a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). His political career began to take shape in 2006 when he contested and won a local body election, securing the position of ZPTC member from Midjil mandal as an independent candidate.

In 2007, Revanth Reddy was elected as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) as an independent. Shortly thereafter, he joined the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) after meeting its leader, N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA):

In 2009, Anumula Revanth Reddy was elected to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly from the Kodangal constituency as a candidate of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), securing 46.46% of the votes. He defeated the incumbent, Gurunath Reddy of the Indian National Congress (INC), who had served as an MLA for five terms. Revanth served as an MLA from 2009 to 2014 in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and from 2014 to 2018 in the Telangana Assembly.

In the 2014 undivided Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections, Revanth Reddy was re-elected to the Telangana Assembly from Kodangal with a majority of 14,614 votes over Gurunath Reddy. He also served as the floor leader of the TDP in the Telangana Legislative Assembly.

In the first ten days of his administration, Revanth Reddy’s government rolled out two of his six key “guarantees”: free bus travel for women and an increase in insurance coverage under the ‘Arogyasri’ scheme to ₹10 lakh. The ‘Praja Palana’ outreach program, designed to engage with citizens, received over 1.05 crore applications, covering approximately 1.11 crore households.

Member of Parliament (MP):

After his defeat in the 2018 Telangana Legislative Assembly election, Anumula Revanth Reddy made a successful comeback in the 2019 general election. He contested from the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituency as a Congress candidate and won with a margin of 10,919 votes, securing 38.63% of the total votes. He defeated Marri Rajashekar Reddy of the Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi (BRS), his closest competitor in the race.

2023 Telangana Assembly election campaign:

In June 2021, Anumula Revanth Reddy was appointed president of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC), succeeding N. Uttam Kumar Reddy. He officially assumed the role on July 7, 2021.

Under his leadership, the Congress party ran a vigorous campaign against the incumbent Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao in the 2023 Telangana Legislative Assembly election. The party emerged victorious, securing 64 seats and surpassing the majority mark by four seats.

Revanth Reddy contested from both Kodangal and Kamareddy constituencies. He won in Kodangal, marking his third term representing the constituency, while he was defeated in Kamareddy.

Chief Minister of Telangana:

Following the Telangana Legislative Assembly election results, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) appointed Anumula Revanth Reddy as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party. This appointment, confirmed by a resolution from the elected MLAs, paved the way for him to become the Chief Minister of Telangana. On December 7, 2023, he was sworn in as the Chief Minister, becoming the second person to hold this post.

In the first ten days of his administration, Revanth Reddy’s government rolled out two of his six key “guarantees”: free bus travel for women and an increase in insurance coverage under the ‘Arogyasri’ scheme to ₹10 lakh. The ‘Praja Palana’ outreach program, designed to engage with citizens, received over 1.05 crore applications, covering approximately 1.11 crore households.

In July 2024, another of his guarantees, the crop loan waiver, was implemented, with the Telangana government allocating ₹31,000 crore for the initiative. This waiver aimed to benefit around 40 lakh farmers across the state.

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of Telangana’s statehood, Revanth Reddy’s government hosted grand celebrations on June 2, 2024.

In May 2024, Revanth Reddy faced scrutiny when the Delhi Police summoned him after the Telangana Congress party shared a doctored video of Amit Shah on its Twitter handle. Reddy denied any involvement in the creation or distribution of the video.

In July 2024, Revanth Reddy met with several Union Ministers, including Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Amit Shah, and J. P. Nadda, to discuss and expedite pending infrastructure projects and secure funds for various state initiatives. He also engaged with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting the allocation of the Sravanapalli coal mining block to the state-owned Singareni Collieries Company.

In August 2024, Revanth Reddy undertook a tour of the United States to attract investment into Telangana. His efforts yielded positive results, with major companies such as Amgen and Charles Schwab agreeing to establish offices in Hyderabad.

Controversies:

Arrest for bribery:

On May 31, 2015, Anumula Revanth Reddy was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Andhra Pradesh during a sting operation. He was accused of bribing nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson to vote in favor of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) candidate in a legislative council election. The case against him included charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act and sections of the Indian Penal Code for criminal conspiracy and common intention. Along with Revanth Reddy, Bishop Sebastian Harry and Uday Simha were also implicated.

Revanth Reddy was granted conditional bail by the Telangana High Court on June 30, 2015, and he was released on July 1, 2015. His release was celebrated by TDP members with a rally. He spent a total of 30 days in jail. There was speculation that TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu might have been behind the scam due to the involvement of a TDP MLA.

In May 2021, while serving as a Lok Sabha MP, the Enforcement Directorate filed a chargesheet against him related to the bribery case. In October 2023, just before the 2023 Telangana Legislative Assembly elections, the Supreme Court dismissed his plea challenging the ACB court’s decision to reject his request from 2021. Subsequently, in February 2024, the Supreme Court transferred the case to a trial court outside Telangana to ensure a fair trial. The hearing was deferred to July 2024.

Summons for Circulating Fake Video:

Delhi Police has summoned Telangana Chief Minister Anumula Revanth Reddy regarding a controversial video involving Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The video, shared on social media by the Telangana Congress, was alleged to be doctored using deepfake technology.

Revanth Reddy’s lawyer has informed the Delhi Police that Reddy was not involved in sharing or creating the doctored video and has requested the withdrawal of the summons. Reddy himself has criticized the summons, calling it “atrocious” and warning Prime Minister Narendra Modi against using threats to govern the state. He questioned how long Modi would continue to rule through fear, reflecting his frustration with the situation.

Overseas engagements:

In June 2009, during a period when Indian students were facing attacks in Australia, then-Telugu Desam Party leaders Anumula Revanth Reddy and Nama Nageswara Rao traveled to Melbourne. Their visit aimed to address the concerns of Indian students and understand the situation better. Revanth Reddy actively engaged with the affected community by visiting hospitals, traveling on public transport, and meeting with students to gather firsthand information.

Additionally, Revanth Reddy and his team met with key officials at the Victorian Parliament, including then-Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu and Ministerial Adviser Nitin Gupta. They raised concerns about the safety of Indian students in Melbourne and sought to address the issues impacting their well-being.