Chief Minister of Telangana since 2023
Anumula Revanth Reddy (born 8 November 1969) is an Indian politician who is serving as the second and current Chief Minister of Telangana since 7 December 2023.[α][2] He represents Kodangal constituency in the Telangana Legislative assembly. He belongs to the Indian National Congress (INC).
Previously he represented Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituency in the Parliament of India. He was appointed as president of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee, replacing N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, in July 2021. He led his party to victory in the 2023 Telangana Legislative Assembly election, defeating the incumbent Bharat Rashtra Samithi.
Early and personal life
Revanth Reddy was born on 8 November 1969 in Kondareddy Palli of Mahboobnagar district (in present-day Nagarkurnool district, Telangana), India.[3]
[4]
He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from
Andhra Vidyalaya College, Osmania University, Hyderabad.[5][6]
Reddy married Geetha, former union minister Jaipal Reddy's niece.[7][8] The couple has a daughter.[9]
Political career
Early political career
Revanth Reddy was a member of ABVP while he was a student.[3] In 2006, he contested the local body election and was elected as ZPTC member from Midjil mandal as an independent candidate.[10][11]
In 2007, Reddy was elected as a Member of Legislative Council (MLC) as an independent candidate. Later, he met Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu and joined the TDP.[3]
Member of Legislative Assembly
In 2009 Revanth Reddy was elected to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly from Kodangal constituency with 46.46% votes as a TDP candidate.[3] He won against the incumbent and five-time MLA, Gurunath Reddy of Congress (INC).[12] He served as MLA in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly between 2009 and 2014 and in Telangana Assembly between 2014 and 2018.
He contested the 2014 undivided Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections and was elected to the Telangana Assembly from Kodangal with a majority of 14,614 votes against Gurunath Reddy.[3][12] He was elected as the floor leader of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in the Telangana Legislative Assembly.[3]
On 25 October 2017, TDP removed him as the floor leader of the Telangana TDP after reports surfaced that he would consider joining the Congress party.[13] On 31 October 2017 he joined Indian National Congress.[14]
He contested the 2018 Telangana Assembly elections from Kodangal as an Indian National Congress (INC) candidate and lost to Bhartiya Rashtra Samithi (BRS) candidate Patnam Narender Reddy, marking his first defeat in any election.[12] On 20 September 2018, he was appointed one of the three working presidents of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC).[15]
Member of Parliament
Following his defeat in the 2018 Telangana legislative assembly election, Reddy successfully contested the 2019 general election from the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituency as a Congress candidate, by a margin of 10,919 votes, constituting 38.63% of the total votes. He defeated his closest competitor, Marri Rajashekar Reddy from TRS.[16]
2023 Telangana Assembly election campaign
In June 2021, Reddy was appointed as president of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee replacing N. Uttam Kumar Reddy.[17] He took the new role on 7 July 2021.[18]
He led the Congress' successful campaigning against the incumbent Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao in 2023 Telangana Legislative Assembly election with the party winning 64 seats, 4 seats past the majority mark. He contested from Kodangal and Kamareddy constituencies,[19][20] winning in the former seat and losing in the latter.[21] After his earlier wins from Kodangal constituency in 2009 and 2014, he is representing the constituency for the third time.
Chief Minister of Telangana
All India Congress Committee (AICC) named Reddy as the leader of Congress Legislature Party, following the elected MLAs' resolution authorising the AICC to nominate the leader, paving way for him to become the Chief Minister of Telangana.[22] On 7 December 2023, he took oath as the Chief Minister of Telangana, making him the second person to hold the post.[23][24]
Overseas engagements
In June 2009, when Indian students were being attacked in Australia, then Telugu Desam leaders Reddy and Nama Nageswara Rao had visited Melbourne, Australia to meet with International students from India. Reddy had visited hospitals, and travelled in trains and public transport in Melbourne to meet victims, and interact with Indian students in Australia, to get a better understanding of the situation.
Reddy had also visited the Victorian Parliament, and had meetings with then Victorian opposition leader Ted Baillieu, and ministerial adviser Mr. Nitin Gupta to raise concerns about Indian students being attacked in Melbourne, Australia.
[25][26]
Controversies
Arrest for bribery
On 31 May 2015, Revanth Reddy was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) during a sting operation after bribing nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson to vote in favour of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) candidate in the Legislative Council election.[27][28][29][30][31] A criminal case under sections of Prevention of Corruption Act and sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) – read with section 34 (common intention) of Indian Penal Code was registered against him along with two others – Bishop Sebastian Harry and Uday Simha. On 30 June, the Telangana High Court gave conditional bail. TDP party members celebrated Revanth Reddy's release on 1 July 2015 with a rally.[32][33]
