NEW DELHI: The swearing-in ceremony for the recently elected Congress government in Telangana faced a postponement on Monday due to a lack of agreement among the party’s 64 MLAs regarding the selection of the Chief Minister.
Initially, preparations were set at Raj Bhavan for the swearing-in of A Revanth Reddy, the Congress state unit chief, as CM, along with other ministers, including a deputy CM.
Nevertheless, disagreements surfaced among senior leaders, leading the party to defer the event. A source familiar with the developments mentioned that Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Uttam Kumar Reddy, Sridhar Babu, and the Komatireddy brothers opposed Revanth as the Chief Minister.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, along with special observers will reach the ultimate determination regarding the government’s makeup. Sources indicate that the decision is anticipated to be disclosed on Tuesday following discussions in Delhi.
The disagreements among senior leaders have led the party to delay the proceedings. According to an insider familiar with the developments, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Uttam Kumar Reddy, Sridhar Babu, and the Komatireddy brothers opposed Revanth as the Chief Minister.
Kharge will make the ultimate determination regarding the government’s structure in collaboration with special observers. The decision is anticipated to be revealed on Tuesday following discussions in Delhi.
AICC observers, including Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar and AICC in-charge of Telangana Manikrao Thakre, travelled to Delhi for further discussions with the party’s high command. These observers had been assigned the task of conducting a Congress legislative party meeting and ensuring the seamless establishment of the government.
Facing Opposition from senior leaders, potential Chief Minister candidate Revanth saw the decision-making process move to Delhi. After a unanimous resolution during the CLP meeting, empowering Kharge to determine the CM, individual opinions of the 64 MLAs were gathered at a private hotel in Gachibowli, a Hyderabad suburb. While some MLAs proposed Bhatti, Uttam Kumar Reddy, and Sridhar Babu as potential CMs, the majority favoured Revanth, according to sources.
Initial speculations suggesting that AICC had already finalised Revanth as the CM was refuted by most senior leaders. Bhatti considered the potential Dalit CM face of Congress, reportedly opposed the plan for multiple deputy CMs and expressed a preference for a single deputy CM with a significant portfolio if given that role. Consensus is yet to be reached on the speaker, deputy speaker, and Telangana PCC president. If Revanth becomes the CLP leader, the post of PCC chief is likely to be assigned to a senior figure.