Cabinet rejig likely today
The aspirants far outnumber the berths, given considerations relating to caste equations in the final composition of the State cabinet
Hyderabad: The long-pending, much-awaited expansion of the Telangana Cabinet, which had been put off several times due to conflict of interests among a plethora of aspirants staking claims based on caste, seniority and regional factors, may at last take place on Sunday, if everything goes well as per script from the AICC.
It is learnt that the All India Congress Committee has sent an official piece of communication to the state party leadership and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to make arrangements for the Cabinet expansion with the rider that it could be deferred should over-anxious aspirants create political turmoil.
As things stand, the party high command has given the nod to fill four cabinet berths. Consultations were going late on Saturday evening too between the Congress leadership and state leaders to make room for two more berths. Yet, the aspirants far outnumber the berths, given considerations relating to caste equations in the final composition of the State cabinet. Posing a major challenge on this ground, four MLAs of the Madiga community camped in New Delhi to convince the party high command for granting additional berths to them “in proportion to their population in the state”. They also met Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to press for their demand. But this is easier said than done.
Top sources told The Hans India that two berths will be given to Reddy community, one each to Minority and BCs and another two, if okayed, will be given to SC and ST communities.
However, aspirants from the Reddy community too outnumber the available berths. Ibrahimpatnam MLA M Ranga Reddy had recently threatened to quit the Congress if he was not inducted in the cabinet during expansion.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is making all-out efforts to induct Ranga Reddy - the lone elected Congress MLA from the Greater Hyderabad - in his Cabinet.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi legislator from Khairtabad constituency D Nagender, who switched to the Congress after the Assembly elections, has been lobbying strongly for a cabinet berth. However, the Congress high command reportedly raised objections over his recent comments against the ruling party.
Leaders said that the Chief Minister and TPCC president Mahesh Goud were awaiting final approval from the AICC to go ahead with the Cabinet expansion.
All told, the high command will finalise the names of the new Cabinet ministers and the list will be released from the party headquarters in New Delhi.
Munugode MLA and state R and B Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy's brother K Rajagopal Reddy was among the important leaders who aspired to become a minister in Revanth Reddy's Cabinet. However, it is understood that the high command is not keen on considering Rajagopal Reddy's name due to various political reasons.
Congress senior leaders and MLAs - P Sudharshan Reddy from Nizamabad, G Vivek from Chennur Assembly Constituency, K Prem Sagar Rao from Mancherial and MLC Vijayashanti are some of the heavyweights already in the fray for Cabinet posts.
