Revanth Reddy’s Swearing-In Today: Leaders from INDIA Bloc to Attend

New Delhi: Amidst the internal strife within the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), a temporary respite is expected as several leaders from the 28-party coalition are set to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Telangana Chief Minister-elect Revanth Reddy in Hyderabad on Thursday.

Revanth Reddy, the leader who guided the Congress to its inaugural triumph in Telangana, personally reached out to numerous opposition leaders in the past two days, urging them to grace the ceremony, as revealed by a Congress official familiar with the developments. The Congress functionary, requesting anonymity, disclosed that most opposition leaders assured Reddy of their party’s representation at the event, with some even planning to travel alongside senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.

Apart from Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and other prominent party figures are slated to be present at the ceremony, the functionary added. A Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader confirmed Reddy’s personal invitation to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, stating that due to prior commitments, she would be represented by a senior leader from the TMC.

In the last three days, the Congress has faced pressure from INDIA allies demanding immediate discussions on seat-sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. This development unfolds against the backdrop of the Congress’s setback in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, where it was directly pitted against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Following the Congress’s failure to secure expected victories in these states, it had put off seat-sharing talks and abandoned informal arrangements, hoping for a favorable outcome in the assembly elections. The setback prompted the Congress to cancel plans for a meeting with INDIA allies after non-Congress chief ministers and a former CM declined participation. Instead, a coordination meeting of parliamentary party leaders from the bloc was called.

The Congress strategized to leverage Reddy’s oath-taking ceremony to ease tensions among the INDIA allies. According to a senior non-Congress leader, Reddy was advised by his party to extend invitations to top opposition leaders. As the head of the Telangana unit, Reddy played a pivotal role in the Congress defeating the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in the recent assembly elections, marking the first time in two decades that the party surpassed a regional force.