Almost all pre-poll surveys have favored the Congress party in the upcoming state assembly elections, and party leaders are confident about their chances of coming to power.
If this scenario unfolds, it is evident that PCC president A Revanth Reddy is the front-runner for the chief minister’s post.
Despite top leaders refraining from officially declaring their candidacy for the CM post, they have, for the most part, stepped back from the race.
However, one person who might disrupt Revanth Reddy's plans to become the chief minister is Congress Legislature Party leader and prominent Dalit leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka.
According to highly placed sources, the Congress high command is considering appointing a Dalit leader as the chief minister of Telangana if the party wins, and there is no better candidate than Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka.
“This move aims to dispel the notion that the Congress is a Reddy-based party and would be a strategic move against Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president K Chandrasekhar Rao, who failed to fulfill his promise of making a Dalit the chief minister,” sources said.
Bhatti's appointment would also serve as a significant response to the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has projected a BC candidate as the CM candidate.
“This will also help the Congress attract Dalit voters in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections scheduled for April 2024,” sources said.
The Congress has already appointed senior Dalit leader Mallikarjun Kharge as the AICC president, and having a Dalit CM in Telangana would provide a considerable boost to the party in the upcoming elections, sources said.
However, this decision could be a significant setback to Revanth Reddy. The Reddy community, attempting to regain influence in Telangana, may not take this development lightly. While they may not openly oppose a Dalit leader like Bhatti, they could create internal issues within the party.
There is also the possibility of the high command finding a compromise, such as sharing the CM post between Bhatti and Revanth for two and a half years each. However, such an arrangement might lead to administrative chaos, sources added.
