‘No need now’: Revanth Reddy denies discussing Telangana Cabinet expansion with party brass

Also Read: BRS suffers setback, another MLA joins ruling Congress in Telangana

‘No need for Cabinet expansion’

The chief minister said that currently there was no need for Cabinet expansion since the government was moving forward without any hitch.

He said the argument that some key departments had no ministers did not hold water since all the portfolios not allocated to any ministers were with him.

“I have been taking care of all the portfolios. For instance, education. There is talk that there is no minister for education. But I am also the minister of education. I am a full-fledged chief minister. I am not like one who does part-time work, spending most of the time at the farmhouse,” he said in an oblique swipe at his predecessor K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR).

He emphatically said that all the departments had ministers and that there was no dislocation in administration because of the want of any minister.

“I have ensured that the education department does not suffer as I am holding the portfolio. Tell me, was there any dislocation? All examinations are held on schedule and all results are being released on schedule. Why should the lack of a minister for any department be brought up frequently when he was taking care of all those portfolios not allocated to anyone.” he said,

He wondered why the media kept quiet when KCR, after winning the 2018 elections, did not constitute his Cabinet for months.

“With 12 ministers, we are delivering excellent governance. If necessary, you can compare our governance with those who are at the helm in other states,” he said.

‘Focusing on administration and governance’

The chief minister said that since the parliamentary elections are over, his government was now focusing on administration and governance.

“As the centre will soon be presenting the regular budget for the current financial year, I came to Delhi with my ministers to make representations to ministers concerned for enhancement in allocations. We have no ego. We meet ministers of even a different party to do good for Telangana. That is why we have been calling on them during the last three days,” he said.

The chief minister dismissed as a small disturbance Congress MLC T Jeeva Reddy becoming angry and remaining unhappy over the induction of Jagtial BRS MLA Dr M Sanjay Kumar into the party.

“Dr Sanjay joined the Congress as he was impressed with the ₹2 lakh crop loan waiver and the implementation of the other guarantees promised by the Congress. But we did not anticipate Jeevan Reddy would be upset. It was our mistake that we did not take precautions. Now it is all behind us,” the chief minister said.

The party’s top brass has promised Jeevan Reddy that he would get enough importune in the party and it will entrust him with key responsibilities going ahead,” he said, pointing to Jeevan Reddy who was with him at the news conference.

Questions KCR

Asked about the BRS taking exception to the Congress for admitting its MLAs, Revanth Reddy shot back, asking how could KCR raise objection without any sense of shame.

“He is like a cat which went on a pilgrimage to Mecca after eating 100 mice,” he said and recalled how KCR had engineered defections of 61 elected representatives into the BRS during his 10-year rule.

Before talking about defections, KCR should go to the Martyrs Memorial at Gun Park and rub his nose against the ground to atone for orchestrating defections from the Congress when he was the chief minister, he said.

Revanth Reddy asked whether he should keep quiet when the BRS kept saying that his government would like nine pins within a month soon after the Congress came to power.

“We had 65 members in the House and yet the BRS and the BJP were predicting that the government would fall. Is it fair for BRS to talk like that? Is it in the interests of the people of Telangana who gave mandate to us to rule? KCR is like black a magic practitioner in a village. Should all others just sit quiet and watch as he practices black magic?” he asked, in justification of admitting BRS MLAs into Congress.

Revanth Reddy said that it appeared the scales were falling off KCR’s eyes after tasting defeat in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections and his MLAs deserting him.

For the first time, he opened the gates of his farmhouse to his MLAs and was now even hosting lunch for them. This shows how jittery he was and the frantic efforts he is making to protect his flock, he said.

Also Read: KCR moves court to scrap Justice Narasimha Reddy Commission

Slams KCR over skipping celebrations

He also took exception to KCR skipping Assembly sessions and even Telangana State Formation Day celebrations on 2 June.

“In his 10 year rule, he did not invite the opposition leader to the state formation day celebrations not even once. When we invited him, he chose not to attend because he was not given an opportunity to speak at the celebrations. Is this practice in vogue in any state?” he asked.

Revanth Reddy found fault with KCR moving the high court to scrap the Justice L Narasimha Reddy Commission that is inquiring into the alleged irregularities in the power sector.

“I fail to understand why the BRS kept quiet for about three months after the commission began inquiring and was now raising objection after the commission sent a notice to KCR to send his response. I want to remind the BRS that the commission was constituted after former BRS Minister G Jagadish Reddy made a demand in the Assembly,” he said.

“Now KCR says that the commission itself was illegal. I fail to understand what is trying to get at, whether calling him to the commission was illegal, or the institution of the commission itself is illegal,” he added.

Replying to a question, Revanth Reddy said that the party high command would appoint a capable leader as the chief of the Telangana Pradesh Committee during his three-year term as the PCC president on 7 July.

He said he had requested the party brass to relieve him of the responsibilities of the PCC chief to which it had agreed.

Speaking to reporters in the national capital, Revanth Reddy said he successfully led the party through Assembly and Lok Sabha polls during his tenure.

“I have requested AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal to appoint a new PCC president before the completion of my three-year term,” he said.

(Edited by Muhammed Fazil)

(South First is now on WhatsApp and Telegram)