The long-awaited cabinet expansion of the Congress-led government in Telangana, headed by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, is finally set to materialise, with the high command reportedly giving its approval on Monday.
Hyderabad:The long-awaited cabinet expansion of the Congress-led government in Telangana, headed by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, is finally set to materialise, with the high command reportedly giving its approval on Monday. The expansion is expected to take place after the conclusion of the Budget Session of the Assembly.
According to party sources, the expansion is likely to happen on Telugu New Year Ugadi, which falls on March 30, or in the first week of April.
AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leader Rahul Gandhi, and AICC general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal held a key meeting with Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, and TPCC chief B. Mahesh Kumar Goud at Indira Bhavan, the AICC headquarters, in Delhi on Monday.
With the total permissible Cabinet strength at 18, the current ministry has 12 members, leaving six vacancies unfilled since December 2023. The Congress high command is said to have approved the filling of four of these vacancies now.
Sources indicated that the high command has decided to fill these four berths with candidates representing OC, SC, and BC communities, while the fourth is expected to be filled from either the minority or ST category. The remaining two positions will be filled at a later date, pending consensus, with an effort to accommodate other aspirants through nominated posts in the party and government.
The high command is also understood to have approved appointments to the posts of Deputy Speaker and Chief Whip in the Legislative Assembly.
The sources said that the hour-and-a-half-long meeting primarily focused on the Cabinet expansion, which remained pending for over 15 months. Discussions also covered the reconstitution of the TPCC executive committee and appointments to various nominated posts within the party and government.
The party leadership also reviewed the performance of the 15-month-old Congress government in Telangana, with a particular focus on the implementation of the party’s Six Guarantees and other key promises made during the 2023 Assembly elections.
The high command reportedly expressed satisfaction with the performance of the Revanth Reddy-led government. Notably, the government was lauded for the passage of key Bills that include extending 42 per cent reservations for BCs in education, employment, and local bodies, and sub-categorisation within SC communities.
The successful completion of the caste census and the implementation of the crop loan waiver scheme — releasing over ₹20,000 crore to benefit 25 lakh farmers within eight months — were also highlighted as major achievements.
The party high command also praised initiatives like the establishment of Young India Skills University and Young India Integrated Residential Schools. The government’s commitment to delivering on the Congress’ Six Guarantees, including free bus travel for women, 200 units of free power for households, and gas cylinders at ₹500, was commended.
Speaking to media persons in Delhi after the meeting, TPCC chief B. Mahesh Kumar Goud confirmed that discussions had taken place on the cabinet expansion and reconstitution of the TPCC executive committee. He said the party high command reviewed the development and welfare schemes being implemented in Telangana, along with the status of the Six Guarantees.
However, Goud declined to confirm the date of the cabinet expansion or whether a formal nod had been given, stating, “We will share all those details with the media officially at an appropriate time.”
