Jana Reddy throws hat in the ring for Telangana CM’s post

Hyderabad, Oct 18: Senior Congress leader K. Jana Reddy has said that he may be offered the post of chief minister of Telangana if the party wins the next month’s Assembly elections.

The former minister also remarked that he is not after the post of the chief minister but the post may come after him.

Jana Reddy, who is not contesting the elections, made the remarks late Tuesday while interacting with a group of leaders from Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) who joined the Congress party in Nagarjuna Sagar constituency, from where his son K. Jayveer Reddy is the Congress candidate.

Thanking the people of Nalgonda district for their support to him all these years, the 77-year-old leader claimed that people wish to see him as the chief minister.

“The way all of you came suddenly without my knowledge, the post (of chief minister) may also come to me suddenly,” he said amid loud cheers from his supporters.

Recalling that he became a minister at the age of 36, Jana Reddy said he has a seniority of 55 years in the party. “Without aspiring for any posts, I got the opportunity to hold various positions in my long political career,” he said.

Jana Reddy served as a minister under four chief ministers in united Andhra Pradesh.

A seven-time MLA, he became the first leader of opposition in Telangana Assembly in 2014. He, however, lost the 2018 election from Nagarjuna Sagar and was also unsuccessful in the by-election held in 2021.

This time he opted out of the poll battle but his two sons applied for tickets. One of them Jayveer Reddy has been fielded from Nagarjuna Sagar, which Jana Reddy had represented twice.

The senior leader’s remarks may add a new twist to a possible race for the chief ministership in Congress if the party comes to power in the state.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) chief A. Revanth Reddy is seen as the frontrunner. He has gone to the extent of declaring that the Congress chief minister will take oath on December 9 at LB Stadium in Hyderabad. While addressing public meetings, he is inviting people to attend the swearing-in.

Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy is seen as another contender for the post. He harbours the ambition of becoming the chief minister.