"Deep-seated political grievances never truly vanish; they remain dormant, only to be reignited by the smallest conversational spark”
Have the internal dynamics within the Telangana Congress reached a critical juncture?
Going by the developing narrative that is resonating outside the Gandhi Bhavan, the answer appears a BIG YES.
The internal rift within the Telangana Congress has reached a critical flashpoint, characterized by high-stakes power struggles between the party’s "old guard" and the Revanth Reddy faction.
Recent leaks linking Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka to alleged irregularities in SCCL coal block allocations highlight this deepening divide, suggesting an atmosphere of mutual suspicion and corruption allegations.
Even as the above dynamic was unfolding, he made a bold, direct appeal to the TDP cadre and followers of N.T. Rama Rao (NTR) during a public rally in Khammam on January 18, 2026.
In a scene dominated more by TDP flags than Congress ones, he called for the "political burial" of the BRS, framing its destruction as the "true tribute" to NTR's legacy.
He argued that since the BRS had systematically dismantled the TDP in Telangana, its total defeat was a necessary act of retribution.
This rhetoric has sparked intense speculation regarding his motivations. By positioning himself as a vengeful defender of the TDP’s legacy, he has fueled rumors of a "secret pact" between the Congress leadership and Chandrababu Naidu.
His effort connoting a cross-party alignment suggests that the Telangana Congress is at a crossroads, with the "original" leadership and the former TDP loyalists within the party bracing for a definitive struggle for control over the state’s political future.
Following the leaks on the purported coal block allocation scam, Vikramarka has publicly characterized these accusations as a coordinated conspiracy. He suggests that the leaks are not merely legal challenges but political weapons wielded by "new entrants" within the party to destabilize his position.
This narrative suggests that the "original" Congress leadership views the Chief Minister, a known protégé of CBN and a TDP migrant, with deep skepticism. Their distrust is further fueled by his recent appeal to NTR’s followers to dismantle the BRS and his claim of holding "closed-door" discussions to personally convince Naidu to halt the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS).
To these veteran leaders, such actions signal a leadership style more aligned with his former party interests than with traditional Congress values.
On the other hand, critics argue that as a Congress CM, Revanth Reddy would unlikely issue such explicit calls either for TDP support or on the RLIS without at least tacit approval from the Congress High Command, potentially indicating a broader strategic understanding between CBN and Delhi.
Both Revanth Reddy and CBN share a common goal in marginalizing the BRS. By invoking NTR’s legacy, Revanth aims to absorb the remaining TDP vote bank in Telangana to solidify Congress’s dominance, and in turn his own status in the Telangana Congress’s power hierarchy, which might, if materialized would further marginalize the status of the old guards within the party in Telangana.
The ongoing dynamics with Revanth attempting to absorb the remaining TDP vote bank to consolidate his position, and the leaks around irregularities in coal block allocations purportedly targeting the old guard highlights a fundamental divide within the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee.
There is a growing sentiment among these veterans that the party’s traditional identity is being overshadowed. Some factions have begun calling for a leadership change, expressing concerns that the Congress may face an electoral setback in future cycles if the current "centralization of power" continues and also if the party’s alignment with that of TDP, known as a party of Andhra leadership, if any, might further impact party’s electoral chances.
Even as these dynamics were playing out, there were reports that a section of Reddy leadership of the old guard of the Congress, including the Deputy CM, whose name is linked to the coal block scam, were in secrete parleys with the YSRCP leadership asking it explore possibilities of floating a Telangana unit of YSRCP, facilitating them to join it and fight the next elections in alliance with the BRS.
While these events might appear as disconnected pieces to a casual observer, their combined effect indicate a simmering power struggle within the T-Congress that might implode into vertical split, if the concern of the old guards to replace Revanth, a more TDP loyalist than a Congress leader is not addressed by the High-command.
These dynamics are feeding speculations around narratives of an impending party split, internal rebellion, and a revolt against the current leadership.
Revanth Reddy’s direct appeal to NTR’s followers, his stance on the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS), and leaks regarding coal block allocations have intensified anxiety among the "original" Congress leadership.
This Reddy-dominated faction increasingly fears for its political future, particularly as Revanth maneuvers for a high-command-sanctioned alliance with the TDP, if any, as being feared, for upcoming elections.
This friction reveals a "house divided," manifesting in “Erosion of Cabinet Unity” and “Strategic Vulnerability” in the run up to the next elections helping a significant leverage to the BRS and BJP.
Allegations from the Deputy CM suggesting that party colleagues are leaking corruption charges undermine the principle of collective cabinet responsibility.
If the veteran "original" leaders continue to feel marginalized by the Revanth faction consisting more of erstwhile TDP, the party faces a potential vertical split. Such a fracture could see the old guard aligning with a revived Telangana wing of the YSRCP and the BRS, leaving Revanth Reddy to lead a Congress reliant primarily on the TDP’s voter base.
Notwithstanding the potential of the present dynamics, Revanth Reddy’s call for the TDP cadre to dismantle the BRS highlights a "Pink Past and Yellow Present," signaling a potential game plan for a TDP-led takeover of the Telangana Congress.
This appeal to the TDP cadre connoting a strategic alignment suggests that the Chief Minister may be facilitating a shift where the Congress’s organizational structure is increasingly co-opted by his former political allegiances that might ruffle a feathers of the old guard with potential to turn the congress a volcano to implode in future.
