In a surprising turn of events, Katipally Venkata Ramana Reddy of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) achieved victory in the crucial Kamareddy assembly, defeating both the incumbent and potential chief ministers of Telangana. Popularly known as KVR, he secured a win over BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao by 6,741 votes and state Congress chief Revanth Reddy by 11,736 votes. Amit Malviya, the head of BJP’s IT cell, congratulated Reddy on X (formerly Twitter) and dubbed him the “giant slayer” of these elections. Malviya expressed confidence in the BJP’s future success not only in the Lok Sabha but also in claiming power in Telangana.
Who is the ‘giant-slayer’ KVR?
A businessman by profession, KVR entered politics with the Congress, serving in the Mandal Parishad Territorial Council in 2004. He later became a Zilla Parishad Territorial Council member and zilla parishad chairperson. After supporting the BRS (then TRS) following YSR’s death, KVR joined the BJP before the 2018 assembly polls amid allegations. Known for grassroots action, he transitioned from financial aid to addressing public demands, gaining recognition as a BJP leader.