The new Congress government is slowly settling down after the Cabinet expansion, but the city and neighbouring erstwhile Ranga Reddy district going unrepresented in the Ministry has raised the hopes of a few aspirants who are trying hard to push their case in the next expansion.
The ministry expansion is likely to be taken up soon as the Congress party has no other option but to strengthen itself in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and the erstwhile Ranga Reddy district with the Parliament elections just a few months away. The party drew a blank in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits that has 24 constituencies. It has won just three seats in the old Ranga Reddy district that is now divided into Ranga Reddy, Vikarabad and Medhcal districts, all spread around the city. The three winners here include T. Rammohan Reddy from Parigi, Malreddy Ranga Reddy from Ibrahimpatnam and Manohar Reddy from Tandur.
Among these three, Mr. Manohar Reddy is a first-timer while Mr. Malreddy Ranga Reddy has been MLA from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1994 and from the Congress party in 2004. Mr. Rammohan Reddy was an MLA from Parigi from 2014 to 2018. These two may emerge as the choice for the party if it wants city and its surrounding areas to be represented.
Mr. Rammohan Reddy was the lone MLA from Hyderabad and erstwhile Ranga Reddy in 2014 when Telangana was formed, with the then TRS, BJP and MIM sweeping the rest. He is also the DCC president of Vikarabad district, part of which is Chief Minsiter Revanth Reddy’s Kodangal constituency. He is claiming with the high command that he played an instrumental role in the Congress’s performance in delivering victories in all four constituencies of the district through negotiating peace amongst rivals and by convincing influential individuals to switch over to Congress.
Mr. Reddy, who holds a doctorate from Osmania University and who runs educational institutions, is claiming to be the frontrunner as he was the sophisticated face that the party would look for to impress the educated voters in the GHMC area. Congress lost badly in the city constituencies with the voters preferring the BRS that had K.T. Rama Rao as the face attracting the young voters and middle-class that had complete faith in his abilities. Now Congress has to look for a similar face from the city to tap this voter section and Mr. Rammohan Reddy wants to fill that slot with his urban appeal.
Mr. Malreddy Ranga Reddy is a senior but has been out of power for 15 years as he won last in 2004. However, he has the blessings of senior Minister Komatireddy Venkata Reddy. He is pinning hopes on his seniority and closeness with senior leaders and is hopeful because he is a senior.
