New Delhi: Telangana Irrigation, Food & Civil Supplies Minister Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy surprised many in Delhi on Wednesday morning by showing up in a formal suit and tie – a look rarely associated with him.
The meeting was with the Philippines Agriculture Minister Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., and the subject was agricultural trade. Telangana is looking to expand rice exports, and the Philippines has shown interest. The two ministers met in the national capital to take that discussion forward.
But what got people talking wasn’t just the subject of the meeting – it was Uttam Kumar Reddy’s attire. Usually seen in a white kurta with sleeves casually folded up to his elbows, pyjama, and a sleeveless sadri, the senior Congress leader looked completely different in a suit. He also wore a tie – something almost no one remembers seeing on him in recent years.
Party workers and journalists who have followed his career for years said they’d only seen him in a Jodhpuri once or twice, mostly during reunions with retired Air Force officers. As a former fighter pilot, there are old photos of him in uniform, but Wednesday’s outfit was entirely new for his political image.
Interestingly, by the afternoon, he had changed back. At the Congress party’s Maha Dharna over BC reservations, also held in Delhi, he was back in his familiar look – kurta, pyjama, sadri, and the Congress khandwa wrapped around his head as a pagdi. That’s the look most associate with him, especially when he speaks at events related to farming or social justice.
A Telangana Congress leader in Delhi smiled when asked about the change. “He dressed for the occasion in the morning. And by the afternoon, he was back in his natural element,” he said.
Photos of the suited-up look quickly circulated on social media, with many expressing surprise. A few users commented that the pilot had “taken off the kurta for takeoff,” while others said it showed his ability to shift from diplomacy to protest in a matter of hours.
The minister, however, remained focused on the work. Sources said the discussions with the Philippines delegation were productive and could open up new markets for Telangana farmers. The Maha Dharna, meanwhile, continued into the evening.