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Congress govt in T’gana completes 2 years in power
Telangana's Congress government, led by Revanth Reddy, faces challenges in its second year, including financial issues and political pressures amid unfulfilled promises.
The Congress government in Telangana, led by chief minister A Revanth Reddy, completes two years on Sunday, braving administrative challenges, financial constraints, judicial hurdles and political rumblings.
When the Congress came to power in Telangana in December 2023, dislodging the nine-and-a-half-year rule of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), led by K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), there were not many hopes that it would survive for long; for, the party had secured a razor-thin margin, winning 64 seats in the 119-member state assembly—only four above the majority mark.
Being a relatively new entrant into the Congress, Revanth Reddy had to handle political heavyweights within the party like N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka. Yet, he managed to stabilise his government within months, thanks to firm backing from the Congress high command.
In an obvious bid to prevent any dramatic collapse, Revanth Reddy managed to lure 10 MLAs from BRS into the Congress. However, the BRS fought a bitter legal battle against these defections and a recent Supreme Court order setting a four-week deadline to adjudicate disqualification petitions may force at least two defecting MLAs to vacate their seats, triggering by-elections.
The biggest challenge before the Revanth Reddy government soon after taking charge were the financial constraints. “He claimed that his government had to spend one-third of the state revenues on debt servicing and another one-third on salaries; and was left with the remaining one-third revenue for the implementation of welfare and development agenda,” political analyst Rama Krishna Sangem said.
Though the Congress government implemented some of its guarantees like free travel for women in RTC buses, LPG cylinders at ₹500 for eligible households and free electricity up to 200 units for domestic consumers, they were not fully implemented, he added.
Many other promises like financial assistance to tenant farmers under Rythu Bharosa scheme, payment of unemployment allowance and gifting of gold to poor women during their marriage remained unfulfilled. “The two-year honeymoon period is over for the Congress. For the party, which is ruling only in two other states – Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, retaining power in Telangana is very crucial,” Sangem said.
Several key administrative decisions have exposed the government to criticism, reflecting what analysts describe as a mix of inexperience and overreach. For instance, the establishment of the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection Authority (HYDRAA) to remove illegal structures on lake beds, the Musi River Rejuvenation Project, accompanied by the demolition of houses along the riverbank and the controversial land acquisition attempt at Lagacharla in Vikarabad for a pharma cluster sparked protests and provided fresh ammunition to the BRS and BJP.
On the political front, however, Revanth Reddy largely succeeded in pushing the major opposition parties on the backfoot in the last year. The BRS, which initially appeared to be aggressive, lost its steam after drawing a blank in the May 2024 Lok Sabha elections, pushing KCR into relative political silence.
The revolt of KCR’s daughter Kalvakuntla Kavitha and her subsequent suspension from the BRS caused a big dent to the image of the party. And their subsequent defeat in the high-profile Jubilee Hills by-election in November, was a massive setback, as the Congress secured a 25,000-vote margin, consolidating Revanth Reddy’s position.
The Justice P C Ghose Commission’s report pinpointing irregularities in the Kaleshwaram project and holding KCR, former irrigation minister T Harish Rao, and senior officials responsible also provided a major boost to the Congress. The chief minister subsequently demanded a CBI probe, bringing the BJP into the frame.
The governor’s approval for the prosecution of KTR in the Formula-E race scam—pertaining to unauthorised payment of ₹55 crore—further weakened the BRS.
The BJP, buoyed by national and state-level gains—including eight Lok Sabha seats in Telangana— also failed to emerge as a potential alternative, due to internal differences and suspension of Ghoshamahal MLA T Raja Singh from the party.
Several major policy and political events defined the Congress government’s second year. The government’s attempt to implement 42% reservations for backward classes—supported by a caste survey, legislation, an ordinance, and a GO—failed to survive legal and constitutional scrutiny. The administration was ultimately compelled to conduct the December 2025 gram panchayat elections with only 22% reservation for BCs.
Revanth Reddy also expanded his cabinet twice, inducting Vakiti Srihari, G. Vivek, Adluri Laxman, and later Mohammad Azharuddin, consolidating political alliances and satisfying diverse caste and regional demands.
While failing to implement the six guarantees, Revanth Reddy is trying to project a global image to Telangana by organising events like Miss World pageant in May and Telangana Rising Global Summit in December.
Another major setback for the Revanth Reddy government this year was the order of the Supreme Court striking down its attempts to commercially monetise forest lands within the University of Hyderabad. However, the government secured substantial revenue through auctions in Kokapet, providing temporary fiscal relief.
As the Revanth Reddy government enters its third year, the he administration must balance fiscal prudence with electoral commitments, navigate legal battles around defections and reservations, and counter a reinvigorated BJP and a recovering BRS.
