Meet new Telangana CM Revanth Reddy’s team — ex-Air Force pilot, former Naxalite, businessman

Meet new Telangana CM Revanth Reddy’s team — ex-Air Force pilot, former Naxalite, businessman

Hyderabad: Congress state chief Anumula Revanth Reddy took oath Thursday as the second chief minister of Telangana in a ceremony held at the LB Stadium in the heart of Hyderabad.

Revanth, 54, signed two files on the podium soon after — one approving the Congress’s six welfare guarantees made to the Telangana public during the polls and another offering his government’s first job to a woman with disability.

“We brought down the iron wall/fences around the Pragathi bhavan to make it Praja bhavan. Its doors will be open for the public from tomorrow,” Revanth said in his first speech as the Telangana CM.

Congress top leaders Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy D.K. Shivakumar were among those who attended the ceremony.

Along with Revanth, 11 senior Congress legislators were also sworn in as ministers by Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan. One of them, Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu, is the deputy CM. Bhatti and another senior Uttam Kumar Reddy were the CM seat hopefuls.

Of the ministers sworn-in, four were associated with K Chandrasekhar Rao’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) before.

Here’s a look at the new ministers in Telangana.

Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu

The deputy CM is the prominent Dalit face in the Telangana Congress. A Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy devotee, Bhatti has a large size YSR photo-frame kept alongside those of gods and goddesses in his pooja room. He is a post gradute from the University of Hyderabad.

Following YSR footsteps, Bhatti went on a 1,400 km-plus padayatra across Telangana earlier this year, interacting with the public and prepping the party in the run up to the polls.

The four-time MLA representing Madhira constituency in Khammam region bordering Andhra Pradesh was the Congress legislature party leader in the outgoing assembly. Bhatti had earlier served as an MLC, government whip in the assembly, and deputy speaker.

Uttam Kumar Reddy 

A former fighter pilot on MiG 21 & 23 with the Indian Air Force, Uttam entered politics in 1994. He was elected to the assembly six times and the Nalgonda Lok Sabha in 2019.

Uttam was the TPCC president before Revanth took over in 2021. He had served as the housing minister in the Congress government in united Andhra Pradesh under Kiran Kumar Reddy. He represents Huzurnagar constituency, and his wife Padmavathi Reddy the neighbouring Kodad segment.

Damodara Rajanarsimha 

Dalit leader Rajanarsimha entered politics in 1989 and is a four-time MLA from Andhole in Medak region. He had earlier served as minister for primary education, deputy CM and SC Finance Corporation chairman.

Komatireddy Venkatreddy

An engineer, Venkatreddy is a five-time MLA from Nalgonda. He was elected from Bhongir Lok Sabha constituency in 2019. Venkatreddy was also one of the CM seat hopefuls. Rajagopal Reddy, who rejoined the Congress just before the polls from the BJP, is his younger brother.

Venkatreddy had earlier served as the IT, investments, youth-sports affairs minister.

Duddilla Sridhar Babu 

A five-time MLA from Manthani, Sridhar Babu is the son of Congress veteran Sripada Rao. He has the experience of serving as civil supplies and legislative affairs minister in Kiran Kumar Reddy cabinet.

Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy 

A businessman from Khammam, Ponguleti was earlier the YSRCP Telangana chief and the only YSRCP MP elected from Telangana in 2014. He joined the TRS in 2016, but left the party over differences with KCR. After BJP’s failed attempts to take him in, Ponguleti joined the Congress in July. Had vowed to stop the BRS government from retaining power.

Tummala Nageshwara Rao 

A TDP veteran who joined the TRS in 2014, Tummala is a six-time MLA from Khammam region. He held various portfolios under NTR, Chandrababu Naidu and in KCR governments.

Tummala joined the Congress in September after KCR denied him a party ticket.

Danasari Seethakka

Naxalite-turned-politician Seethakka joined the TDP in 2004 and moved from there to Congress in 2017, along with Revanth Reddy. She won from Mulugu three times including the elections now. She served as secretary, Mahila Congress and has a good rapport with Rahul Gandhi.

Jupally Krishna Rao 

A senior Congressman who joined the TRS in 2011, Jupally rejoined the party in August after a fall out with KCR. The five-time MLA from Kollapur in south Telangana held various portfolios previously in the state governments.

Konda Surekha 

Another Congress leader who returned from TRS, Surekha is a four-time MLA who served as women and child welfare minister in the YSR cabinet in united Andhra Pradesh. She left the Congress in 2011 to be part of Jaganmohan Reddy’s YSR Congress. Surekha joined the TRS in 2014 and rejoined the Congress in 2018. Represents Warangal East constituency.

Ponnam Prabhakar 

A former Lok Sabha MP, Ponnam is elected from the Husnabad constituency this election. He had earlier served as Andhra NSUI chief, TPCC working president.

(Edited by Tony Rai)