Hyderabad: The cabinet expansion will be further delayed as a group of BC MLAs requested the Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi for more cabinet berths. The aspirants accompanied by PCC President B Mahesh Kumar Goud and Ministers representing the BC community also met Rahul Gandhi in Parliament on Thursday.

The latest development comes a day after the massive dharna at Jantar Mantar in Delhi organised by the BC Welfare Association National Committee. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy also raised his pitch at national level demanding the Union government implement 42 per cent reservation. Meanwhile, as aspirants continue to lobby, pressure groups representing Madiga (SC), Lambada (ST), Reddy and now BCs are fighting it out in favour of their respective communities in the cabinet. Presently, there are only two Ministers representing the BC community in the cabinet, while the Reddy community has four. BCs are urging that considering their 42 per cent representation in Telangana, they be given a fair share in cabinet.

Mahesh Goud, who led the delegation to the top party leaders, also ruled out Cabinet expansion in April first week, as it was earlier presumed. Meanwhile, AICC will be taking a call, and there is an increased scope for a Minority leader to be inducted in cabinet.

The PCC president while briefing to the media in Delhi acknowledged that the exercise of cabinet expansion was facing tough challenges. However, he also hoped that the AICC leadership would resolve the matter and announce the date for possible cabinet expansion soon.