In the midst of reported internal protests over his selection, the party ended any question on Tuesday night by declaring its choice.
On Thursday, Reddy will take the oath of office as the new chief minister of Telangana.
This development followed a high-level conference in New Delhi that included, among others, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, the head of the Congress, and KC Venugopal, the national general secretary.
Why is this story important?
By winning 64 seats in the 119-member state assembly, the Congress overthrew the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government in Telangana, marking a historic victory.
Considering the party’s dismal showing in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh prior to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the outcome is seen as a much-needed lift.
Reddy was reportedly the most well-liked candidate for the chief minister job in spite of some criticism from inside the party.
Internal opposition and a postponement of the inauguration ceremony
To be sure, the oath-taking ceremony was originally scheduled for Monday at Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad, and all essential preparations were made. It was canceled, however, after several leaders purportedly objected to his selection for the position.
Former Telangana Congress chairman N Uttam Kumar Reddy, former CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka, and former minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy are among his detractors.
They were said to be against him because of his outstanding corruption cases and the party’s poor performance in his Lok Sabha constituency.
Reddy has widespread backing.
Despite internal opposition, Reddy is supported by 42 of the 64 Congress MLAs, according to reports.
This support is critical for the Congress leadership, which does not want to risk losing any members in a Telangana, the only state it won in the most recent round of state elections.
This is most likely the key reason the party chose Reddy as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in Telangana, paving the path for him to become CM.
Who were the other potential candidates?
Reddy, who ran against BRS supremo KCR from Kamareddy, ascended through the ranks of the Telangana Congress party.
In the meantime, the names of Schedule Caste (SC) leader Vikramarka, as well as former MPs Madhu Yashki Goud and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, have been circulated for the CM job. According to previous reports, Uttam, Komatireddy, and ex-MLA Komatireddy Raj Gopal were also looking for a chance.
The Congress, on the other hand, has finally put an end to all the conjecture and uncertainty.