Before the start of the Election counting in Telangana, Revanth Reddy said that he will leave politics if he lost the election. His confidence was so high that not even one thought that he will lose the election with a huge margin.
The margin was about 9,000 votes with TRS’s Patnam Narender Reddy winning the election.
Revanth starting his political life with TRS. He won the 2009 and 2014 elections from Kodangal on TDP’s ticket. On both the occasions, Revanth Reddy’s opposition candidate was Gurunath Reddy who was replaced by Narender Reddy in the current election. The move paid off brilliantly for TRS but was that the only reason which assured TRS’s win?
Note for Vote case and the defection to Congress:
Revanth Reddy’s downfall came right after the Note for Vote Case. His tall and ambitious political career took a backfoot after ACB caught him in a Note for Vote scandal during the MLC elections.
Moreover, Revanth enjoyed support from Kodangal on a TDP ticket for quite a long time and there is a possibility that his defection to Congress did not impress many.
Firebrand politics and the poll percentage:
In his self-motivated revenge politics against TRS, Revanth Reddy has got the tag of a firebrand leader. Everyone thought him to be the frontline candidate for CM if Mahakootami comes to power but a deeper analysis reveals that his excessive firebrand tactics have backfired to some extent. In a hurry to flay the TRS, Revanth Reddy sometimes opted for remarks which did not have any political credibility.
The main factor which worked against Revanth Reddy is the rapid increase in polling percentage. The increase in voting percentage favoured TRS more than the Congress leader.
Alliance with Chandrababu and Mahakootami
Though the alliance with Chandrababu and TDP would not have affected Revanth Reddy’s Kodangal, analysts are of the view that it backfired for Congress as a whole with TRS campaigning it as ‘Anti-Telangana’. However, given the sentimental attachment of Kodangal public with TDP, it could have been wise if Revanth Reddy stuck to his previous party. The alliance between TDP and Congress has done more damage to Congress than bringing in any gains.
What next?
With TRS sweeping the elections, the opposition will have to fight it hard to at least give themselves a chance in the next election. However, there is no sound leader for Congress who can do this on the assembly floor. It could have saved millions for Congress if Revanth Reddy managed a win to at least serve the purpose of an opposition leader, thanks to his firebrand speeches. We will have to wait and see how Revanth Reddy plans his political career from here.