The internal visible squabbles in the Telangana Congress party have been replaced by mature and subtle lobbying for favourites. The various factions that were fighting for one-upmanship until a few months back have now coalesced into two powerful lobbies, each putting up a diplomatic face. Two unlikely names are now the front runners for the CM's post in case the party clinches power in the Assembly elections scheduled to be held later this year.
Bhatti Vikramarka, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, was seated next to Congress senior leader Rahul Gandhi in the recently held public meeting at Khammam. Not just that, Rahul Gandhi, in his address, even praised him for completing a long walkathon (padayatra) aimed at strengthening the party. The proximity was on full display. Bhatti and Rahul Gandhi held each other and moved to the front of the stage to wave to the crowd, even as many of the senior leaders looked on. These gestures are a testimony to the growing importance of Bhatti within the party.
The Dalit leader, who served three terms as an MLA from Khammam district, is soft-spoken and uncontroversial. He is seen as an accepted figure by the senior leaders of the party, who are unflinchingly supporting his candidature. In what looks like a well-thought-out strategy, the Congress high command seemed to have propped him up by entrusting him with the prestigious assignment of a Padayatra to calm down the seniors who were at loggerheads with the party president, A. Revanth Reddy.
Bhatti is a Congress old-timer, whose family was associated with the Congress. The party also seems to have considered his community, which forms the core vote bank of the party. Walking for about four months and 1,300kms, despite facing ill-health, Bhatti proved his mettle. For the Congress, Bhatti is not only important to balance the party but also to prove a point to the BRS that they are serious about promoting Dalit leadership. Party sources say he has a good chance of becoming the CM if the party comes to power since one of the criticisms directed at KCR is that he did not fulfil his earlier promise of making a Dalit the CM of the bifurcated state.
Another Congress personality in the limelight is Dansari Seethakka. She is an MLA from Mulugu and, in a way, an iconic figure among the tribal community. She emerged from the extreme Left ideology and was a commander in the Maoist movement. After she surrendered and joined the mainstream, political life beckoned her, and she joined the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). She went on to become an MLA with the active backing of former CM N. Chandrababu Naidu.
However, with the party being wiped out in Telangana, she, along with colleague A. Revanth Reddy, another TDP MLA back then, joined the Congress in 2017. Since then, she is considered to be part of team Revanth. Her popularity soared during the Covid-19 pandemic when she was seen venturing deep into the forests and inaccessible hamlets to hand over essential groceries to the people. Her service was also recognized at the national level by Congress leaders like Priyanka Gandhi, who later spoke about her. Revanth has also been generous with words while talking about Seethakka.
When there was friction in the Congress party, Revanth was accused of being biased towards those who recently joined from TDP and of not respecting the Congress ideology by the seniors. Now it's ceasefire time, and Revanth too played his card calmly. Understanding that his chances of becoming a CM, despite being the president, can be scuttled by the seniors' lobby pushing the name of Bhatti, he went ahead and made a surprising announcement.
Recently, at an event organized by the Telugu Association of North America (TANA) in Philadelphia, where Seethakka was also present, he announced on stage that if need be, he will support Seethakka's candidature for the CM's post. Revanth has thrown his weight behind Seethakka, knowing well that she, as a tribal and a woman legislator with a clean reputation can be a competitor to Bhatti. For the powerful leaders from the Reddy community, considered the backbone of Congress, it is now all about playing the role of a kingmaker.