“Six assurances will guarantee Congress’s triumph in Telangana,” says former member Mallu Ravi

Mallu Ravi, a former MP and Congress candidate for the Nagarkurnool Lok Sabha district, is certain that his party would win the Lok Sabha elections because of the six promises it has made to Telangana. He adds that he has no competition in his slot in an exclusive chat with Manda Ravinder Reddy of TNIE.

Takeaways from the conversation

Which candidate in your constituency is your biggest opponent, the BJP or the BRS one? Do you think you’ll get the seat?

Nagakurnool is not a place where I have any competition. There is absolutely no possibility for the candidates of BRS and BJP. I’m going to win with a two lakh majority, they are saying. People are loving me and I am loving them, it’s like a love marriage.

In the elections, how would the Congress oppose the Hindutwa agenda of the BJP?

In Telangana, the BJP is struggling for its survival. It won’t even be awarded a seat in this place. There is no cadre present at the local level. No one can prevent the Congress from gaining the maximum number of members, regardless of its program. People see the saffron party with mistrust.

RS Praveen Kumar, a former IPS officer and a formidable “Bahujanvadi,” is running against you on a BRS ticket. Will his candidacy make a difference?

By not fielding its “original” leader, the BRS made it clear that it is not a serious participant in this phase. The fact that Praveen Kumar, who was the state leader of the BSP until recently and suddenly switched allegiance to the BRS in order to run for the Lok Sabha elections, is another reason why people do not trust him. When he was in the BSP, he also made criticisms of the BRS. No BRS leader or activist is pursuing his win as a result. He is opposed even by the leaders of the BSP. Everyone believes that Praveen Kumar has moved away from “Bahujanism” after he joined the BRS.

What election-related agenda items does Congress have?

Our announcement of the six promises before to the Assembly elections has been effectively carried out by Congress. People are joyful and showing their faith in Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s leadership and the Congress. Five national guarantees were also declared by the Congress. Every one of these will help in the elections.

Which quota did you get the ticket under? Is it the Mallu family quota or the Congress worker’s quota?

As a grassroots worker for Congress, I am. I have spent the past forty years serving in Congress. I had a couple of stints as an MP. I had many positions inside the group. I get along well with the individuals as well. I received a ticket to run for office again when the party high leadership acknowledged my contributions. My family has a long history of supporting the Congress, including my brother Bhatti Vikramarka, who is now the deputy chief minister, and Anantha Ramulu, a former MP.

You had close collaboration with YS Rajasekhara Reddy, the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh while it was still a single state. A Revanth Reddy, the Telangana chief minister, is now your boss. What distinctions have you seen between them in terms of management?

Revanth Reddy is following YSR’s lead. He is contributing significantly to the accomplishment of the six assurances. Although there is a little variation in working style, both are the same in governance. Similar to Rajasekhara Reddy, Revanth gained the respect and confidence of the public quickly.