AIMIM, BRS, BJP Are One And the Same: Telangana Congress Chief Revanth Reddy | Exclusive

A lot is at stake for Telangana Congress’s firebrand president and potential Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who has been relentlessly and ruthlessly campaigning across the state. He is challenging Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Chief K Chandrasekhar Rao head-on in Kamareddy, besides running as an MLA from Kodangal, where he lost last time.

From the accusation of being a “Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) agent" to even a “scamster", Reddy says he is unbothered by the name-calling and is uber confident of sweeping the Congress to power.

But can the Telangana Congress, which is often ridden with internal factions, put up a united fight under him?

CNN-News18 sat down for an exclusive conservation with the leader during his campaign trail

Edited excerpts:

How confident are you of the Congress’s win in Telangana?

I have been in the opposition for 20 years. Being in the public life for that long, one can predict the mood of the people. We have been receiving overwhelming support since Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. All surveys and media speculation are hinting that the Congress will definitely form the government in Telangana.

How realistic and feasible is your populist manifesto?

People have always cast their doubts even as we were the ones who nationalised banks, gave free homes to the marginalised and so on. We are not hearing this for the first time, but let me make it clear, our goal is to ensure equitable distribution of wealth. PM Narendra Modi is giving the entire country’s wealth to businessmen. In Telangana, there are many such ‘chhote’ businessmen. CM K Chandrashekhar Rao’s (KCR) family and his friends have looted the people for 9.5 years. The moment we stop that, you will see revenue coming in from all sides and the poor getting the benefits.

KCR says your guarantees have failed in Karnataka and a similar thing will happen in Telangana if the Congress is voted to power…

All the guarantees in Karnataka are being rolled out in a phased manner. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar even challenged KCR and his son KT Rama Rao (KTR) to visit their state to see how guarantees are reaching the masses. Why has KTR refused to go? They are spreading false narratives, but it’s not going to work.

You are labelled as an RSS and TDP agent?

Let them say whatever they want. As they have nothing else to show, they are indulging in petty name-calling. AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and BRS are one and the same. Their gatbandhan has become ‘Fevicol bandhan’. None of them give speeches without taking my name. I enjoy that.

In our last interview, you had told me that you would volunteer to initiate Owaisi’s entry into the opposition’s Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) if he wants to join?

If Owaisi is really secular and wants to join the INDIA, let them actually walk the talk about defeating Narendra Modi. Right now, he is with Modi. I don’t know how long is he going to work for Modi’s victory. I believe people don’t remain the same throughout. From 1994 to 2004, he was with Chandrababu Naidu; from 2004 to 2014, he was with the Congress and since 2014, he has been with KCR’s BRS and BJP. I don’t know what he is going to do next, but I hope there is a change in his thought process in the interest of the country.

Are you going to keep your doors open for him?

That’s not for me to decide. If the All India Congress Committee (AICC) asks me to negotiate with the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) or any other leader, then I am ready.

Who is the Chief Ministerial face of the party? You must have CM ambitions…

Every Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) wants to be the CM. Of the 85 CM candidates in our party, I am at the 85th number. Of the total 119 seats, the magic number to form the government is 60, but to get a comfortable lead, we need to win 80+ seats. The Congress follows a due process to select the Chief Minister, whoever fits all the criteria listed out by the high command, that person becomes the CM. Revanth Reddy is not an exemption. As the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) head, my role is to ensure the party’s win. I have to carry everyone equally like the head of the family. It’s good to have as many CM candidates as possible.

Why are you saying that the government will be sworn-in on December 9?

On December 9, 2009, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government declared the formation of Telangana. December 9 is also Sonia Gandhi’s birthday, the one who made Telangana happen against all odds, that’s why we want to commemorate this date. I have a lot of sentimental value attached to December 9, it’s an auspicious date. We will come to power and get the six guarantees approved by the cabinet.

Did you want to distance yourself from politics when you lost Kodangal last time?

Yes, KCR tried every trick in the book to defeat me in an illegal manner. They kidnapped me and slapped a fake case on me. As he couldn’t defeat me in the eyes of the public, he resorted to such despotic means and misused the police to target me. The Congress high command wanted me to run from Malkajgiri as an MP, I won with people’s mandate. This time, too, the high command wanted me to take on KCR in Kamareddy. Their wish is my command. I am not a ‘neta’s neta’, I am a karyakarta’s neta. Whatever the karyakarta wants me to do, I will do. My mindset is not a leader’s mindset, it is that of a party worker. I will obey my party’s decision.

KCR says the Congress is a broken house with at least 10-12 CM aspirants.

Let me reiterate, we have 85 potential CM faces, unlike the BRS, where there is only one family rule policy, all ready to backstab each other. In Congress, a leader like Mallikarjun Kharge, who started as block president, is now the AICC president. Our party runs on democracy, the BRS runs as family propriety party.

Do you nurse a personal grudge against KCR?

On December 3, KCR will lose badly, even in Kamareddy… KCR will go to jail for data theft…We don’t get tickets from the Congress on the virtue of personal grudge. We don’t have the goal of settling an individual score with anyone, I don’t think on those lines.

What is your vision for Telangana?

I have a masterplan for 2050 — welfare and development. I am going to do miracles in Telangana. We will compete with the world, not with cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai or Delhi. We have that vision document. We will also focus on connectivity from outer ring road to regional ring road to suburban Telangana. We will take the state to new heights.

If the Congress comes to power, what will be your plan with the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project?

We will lodge a high-level inquiry into the corruption.

Let me reiterate, we have 85 potential CM faces, unlike the BRS, where there is only one family rule policy, all ready to backstab each other. KCR will lose badly, even in Kamareddy… KCR will go to jail for data theft…The BJP may win four-five seats at best. They are trying very hard to make KCR win and cut into the opposition’s vote…I am going to do miracles in Telangana. We will compete with the world, not with cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai or Delhi. We have that vision document…You gave a chance to KCR twice, now vote for change. People have had enough of ‘Dorala palana, its time for prajapalana (Feudal government vs public government)’