Telangana State cabinet expansion only by July-end?

Hyderabad: The strong speculations swirling around on cabinet expansion anytime this week are unlikely to materialise till the end of July this year. The inauspicious Ashada Masam, which began on June 23, could be the main reason for delay in filling the vacant ministerial berths in the State cabinet.

Official sources said that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy planned to expand his cabinet soon after the Lok Sabha elections and he also discussed the issue with the party high command during his recent visit to New Delhi. Some minister aspirants have already lobbied for berths in Revanth Reddy’s cabinet.

State R and B Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy’s younger brother and Munugodu MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy and a dozen senior Congress leaders and MLAs – P Sudharshan Reddy, K Premsagar Rao, G Vinod, Malreddy Ranga Reddy, N Rajendar Reddy etc. were trying hard to grab the ministerial berths.

The high command had reportedly given the nod to Revanth Reddy to fill six berths in his cabinet by maintaining caste equations.

In view of the huge competition from senior leaders, the CM is moving cautiously to zero in on the names of the ministers. Leaders said that the Chief Minister planned to finalise the names before June 23, the beginning of Ashada Masam and start preparations for the full budget for 2024-2025. “Now, the chances of expansion of the cabinet are remote until the end of the inauspicious month of Ashada Masam. The CM is planning to hold a budget session at the end of July and the expansion of the cabinet will not take place till then”, a leader said. The CM is holding all key wings like Municipal Adminstration, Education, Home and Commercial Taxes and Stamps and Registrations departments.

The CM himself will take a call on finalising budget allocations to education and MA & UD and set the targets for revenue-generating wings in the proposed budget outlay for the current financial year.