TRANSFORMING TELANGANA: REVANTH REDDY'S LONG MARCH TO PROGRESS

The summer of 2024 was a busy time in India’s youngest state.

- RASHEED KIDWAI

Telangana was gearing up for Formation Day celebrations on June 2, and Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had commissioned a new anthem to commemorate a decade of the state’s existence: Jaya Jaya Hey Telangana, written by the beloved poet-lyricist Ande Sri and composed by Academy Award-winner M.M. Keeravani. Reddy paid tributes to Telangana Movement martyrs at Gun Park and hoisted the national flag at Parade Grounds, Secunderabad. Addressing a massive gathering, Reddy waxed eloquent about how “freedom is very much part of the Telangana way of life… Our philosophy is to spread love and question domination. We can endure hunger, but we will not tolerate losing our freedom. Telangana will not turn a blind eye if democracy is to be destroyed in the guise of welfare.”

FOR THE PEOPLE

A first-generation politician, the 55-year-old Reddy is the first Congress Chief Minister of Telangana and has breathed new life into the party’s presence in the state. In his first year in office, he has established himself as a master rhetorician and a veritable strongman. It is common knowledge that he puts in 18-hour days and is famously approachable, with his residence at Mahatma Jyoti Rao Phule Praja Bhavan (formerly Pragathi Bhavan) being open to the public. This is a man who proactively solicits feedback and counsel to improve governance in a model he calls ‘Praja Palana’, which translates to “people’s governance”.