‘Revanth Reddy could do a Suvendu Adhikari’: BJP MP’s claim sparks political buzz

In a move aimed at stirring political speculation, BJP MP Dharmapuri Arvind made a striking claim on Monday. The Nizamabad MP suggested that Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy could do a ‘Suvendu Adhikari’ to the Congress. Arvind claimed that Reddy could switch political sides just as Bengal leader Suvendu Adhikari did when he left the Trinamool Congress and joined the BJP six years ago.

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Arvind further said that the Congress leadership had erred in selecting Revanth Reddy as chief minister while overlooking senior leaders who had devoted decades to the party.

Arvind predicts Congress rout

The BJP MP then compared Revanth Reddy with Suvendu Adhikari, who joined the BJP and emerged as one of Mamata Banerjee's fiercest political rivals in West Bengal.

The BJP MP also asserted that the Congress would suffer a major defeat in the next Telangana Assembly elections.

“Congress will face an unprecedented defeat in 2028-29 here in Telangana. They lost badly in 1985 and in 1994. In 2028-29, under the leadership of Revanth Reddy, the Congress party is going to face a disastrous defeat,” Arvind said.

Modi remarks fuel speculation

The BJP MP’s remarks assumed political significance as they came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a widely discussed comment that was seen as directed at Revanth Reddy during a public event in Hyderabad. The prime minister had told the Telangana chief minister: “Aap jahan pahunchna chahte hain, nahi pahunch payenge... achha hai ki mere se hi judo” (You may not reach where you want to... you better join me”). The PM’s remark sparked intense speculation in political circles.

Reddy was present on the stage at the time and merely smiled at the “invitation”. Although Reddy later sought to play down Modi’s remarks, saying they were made in the context of Centre-state cooperation and had no political implication, the exchange sparked speculation in political circles.

On previous occasions, Reddy had referred to Modi as his “big brother” and praised the “Gujarat model” of governance, comments that had already drawn significant attention.

Referring to the PM’s Hyderabad remark, Dharmapuri Arvind said: “I don't know what that means exactly, as I am just a ground-level worker in the BJP. I’m not sure if there is a political link there. I really don’t know if something is brewing, something similar to what Suvendu Adhikari did.”

Political tensions escalate

He, however, added that Telangana would witness some “high-decibel politics” over the next couple of years, eventually leading to the BJP coming to power in the state.

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Arvind’s comments are likely to provoke strong reactions from the Congress and the chief minister, especially at a time when political tensions are sharply escalating between the BJP and the ruling party ahead of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections expected later this year.