Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has made no secret of his ambition — he wants Congress to storm back with a “landslide” in 2028, and has repeatedly declared he intends to remain Chief Minister until 2034. But the road to a second term looks far bumpier than his public bravado suggests.

The confidence. Addressing party workers, Revanth has pledged Congress will win around 100 of 119 seats and 15 Lok Sabha seats in 2028, invoking the precedent of past two-term runs by the TDP and BRS in the Telugu states.

The cracks beneath. That confidence hasn’t gone down well with everyone in his own party. His repeated “till 2034” remarks have drawn open pushback from Congress MLAs, who point out that only the high command decides the Chief Minister — not the CM himself. One legislator publicly warned that “pure Congress leaders and activists won’t tolerate attempts to turn Telangana Congress into a personal empire.”

Old guard vs. new entrants. A deeper fault line has emerged between long-time Congressmen and leaders who joined just before the 2023 win — several from TDP or BRS backgrounds, like Revanth himself. Disciplinary moves against senior leaders Konda Surekha and Chinna Reddy have become a proxy battle in this factional divide, with the high command reportedly slow-walking action despite Revanth’s push.

Defections and warnings. The dissent has already cost the party at least one legislator, who quit for the BRS declaring “Revanth Reddy must go, KCR must return” and accusing the CM of centralising power. AICC has since stepped in, holding review meetings over “growing dissent” and lack of coordination among ministers, MLAs, and district leaders.

The verdict, for now. Revanth remains, by most accounts, the tallest Congress leader in the state and the man who ended a decade of BRS rule — no obvious rival commands his stature. But delivering on 100-seat promises while managing a restless flock of old-guard loyalists and newer recruits will determine whether “2034” stays a boast, or becomes reality.