Telangana Cabinet reshuffle on the cards?

Hyderabad: Is cabinet reshuffle on the cards? The buzz in the TRS circles is that Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao wants to make some changes in the cabinet anytime after the results of the Dubbaka by- election was announced and ahead of GHMC polls.

The Chief Minister, who is assessing the performance of each minister, wants to see that there was better representation of all castes and communities, it is learnt. Speculations are rife that newly-elected MLC K Kavitha may also be inducted into the cabinet. Other prominent names making rounds are that of Deputy Speaker T Padma Rao Goud and Danam Nagendar, who was elected from Khairatabad.

It may be mentioned here that Goud and Kapu community have significant numbers of over 75 lakh voters in the poll-bound Greater Hyderabad. Nagendar is said to be popular among the Kapu voters and the Deputy Speaker is the face of Goud community in the city.

At present, Animal Husbandry Minister T Sriniavas Yadav was the only representative in the cabinet from Greater Hyderabad. Induction of Nagender and Padma Rao would have better political advantage for the party, party sources feel. But then for making such a change, some ministers will have to be dropped as the number of ministers in the state cabinet cannot exceed 18 as per the constitutional provisions.

Since there are no vacancies at present, sources feel that there was possibility of dropping ministers, Gangula Kamalakar and K Srinivas Goud. It may be mentioned here that the Chief Minister did not replace any of his cabinet ministers who were there in the first term between 2014 and 2018, except for the then deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister T Rajaiah following certain allegations.