Congress Puts Cabinet Expansion on Hold

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy left for Delhi on Wednesday to seek the Congress high command’s approval for the Cabinet expansion and the appointment of a new Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president. However, party insiders have revealed that both the decisions have been temporarily put on hold.

Sources indicated that the high command has postponed the Cabinet expansion and TPCC chief appointment due to a lack of consensus on the candidates. The party leadership assured Revanth Reddy that these issues would be revisited in a week or 10 days.

In Delhi, the Chief Minister held extensive discussions with AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal. The meeting focused on potential candidates for Cabinet positions and the TPCC chief post, but no agreement was reached.

The three-year term of current TPCC chief Revanth Reddy ends on July 7. He is expected to continue in the role until a new chief is appointed.

Party sources said that the Cabinet expansion and TPCC chief appointment are interlinked. The Congress high command is considering caste dynamics in these appointments. If a Backward Classes (BC) leader is appointed as the TPCC chief, Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) leaders would be prioritised for cabinet positions. Conversely, if an ST candidate is selected for the TPCC post, the cabinet composition would be adjusted accordingly.

Revanth Reddy had previously visited Delhi from June 24 to June 29 to discuss these matters, but no consensus was achieved due to multiple aspirants.

For the TPCC chief post, aspiring candidates include MLC B. Mahesh Kumar Goud, Zahirabad MP Suresh Shetkar, Madhu Yashki Goud (BC), Mahabubabad MP P. Balram Naik (ST), and former MLA S.A. Sampath Kumar (SC).

For Cabinet positions, prime contenders include Makthal MLA Vakiti Srihari (BC Mudiraj), Khanapur MLA Vedma Bojju (ST), Peddapalli MLA G. Vivekanand, Dharmapuri MLA Adluri Laxman Kumar (SC), Bodhan MLA P. Sudarshan Reddy, Mancherial MLA K. Prem Sagar Rao, Munugode MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy, Ibrahimpatnam MLA Malreddy Ranga Reddy, and Parigi MLA T. Ram Mohan Reddy.

BRS MLA Danam Nagender, who recently joined the Congress from Hyderabad, is also seeking a Cabinet position, as the Congress currently has no MLA representation in Hyderabad.

The Telangana Cabinet can have up to 18 members, including the Chief Minister. Currently, there are 12 members in the Cabinet, leaving six vacancies. However, sources suggest that the high command plans to fill only four vacancies initially, keeping two spots open for potential BRS MLAs from Greater Hyderabad who might join the Congress soon.