Despite internal disagreements over six vacant cabinet berths, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is believed to be finalising the expansion, with his meeting with senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday seen as part of the process.
Published Feb 15, 2025 | 7:10 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 15, 2025 | 7:12 PM
Synopsis: After 14 months in power, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is set to expand his cabinet amid internal tensions over the six vacant berths. The expansion faces resistance over several potential candidates, including defectors K Rajagopal Reddy and G Vivek who were promised ministerial positions, while disagreements have surfaced over minority quota appointments with party leaders opposing the CM’s preferred choices.
It’s been 14 months since Congress returned to power in Telangana, yet Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s cabinet still has six berths vacant. After the typical pulls and pressures that the Grand Old Party is known for, the cabinet expansion appears to be in its final stages.
Though there’s little official word about the potential ministers or a date, it is more than likely that the expansion will happen sooner than later.
Revanth Reddy’s meeting with senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday, 15 February, is believed to be a part of the exercise to complete the process.
Topping the list of ministerial prospects are K Rajagopal Reddy and G Vivek, both of whom shifted to the Congress from the Bharatiya Janata Party on the eve of 2023 elections on the promise that they would be offered ministerial berths.
Rajagopal is the brother of Roads and Buildings Minister K Venkat Reddy. Top leadership of the Congress is reportedly of the view that the commitment should be honoured, though the Chief Minister is thought to prefer neither of them in the Cabinet.
Senior legislator Sudarshan Reddy, who represents Bodhan in Nizamabad district, is the other frontrunner. He has the blessings of the chief minister, apart from being a senior leader.
Under the minority quota, the chief minister is said to be keen on either former minister Shabbir Ali or his confidante Faheem Qureshi. But both names are being opposed by Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Mahesh Kumar Goud and senior minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, among others.
Their argument against Shabbir Ali is his electoral record. He contested Assembly elections nine times so far and won only twice. He lost in 2023 as well but is already rewarded with the position of an Advisor (Cabinet rank).
“He cannot be considered as the only representative of Muslims. The Majlis party, with which Congress is now maintaining a good relationship, is also against him. For someone who has often failed to secure people’s mandate, there is no need for the party to keep rewarding him with a minister’s post,” a senior leader argued.
Shabbir was also a minister in the YS Rajasekhara Reddy cabinet from 2004 to 2009 but lost that year’s election despite YSR returning to power.
As for Faheem, the argument is that he is more of a personal aide to Revanth Reddy and not a thoroughbred Congressman.
Many party leaders consider him an outsider and are already resenting his influence in the government. Senior leaders are said to have suggested three other alternative names – MLC Amir Ali Khan of Siasat Urdu daily, Feroze Khan or cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin.
The last two unsuccessfully contested the 2023 Assembly elections from Nampally and Jubilee Hills constituencies in Hyderabad respectively.
Meanwhile, MLC Kodandaram, one of the architects of Telangana statehood movement, who extended support to the Congress before the elections, is also in the list of those being considered.
He was made a member of the Legislative Council after the Congress came to power but was reportedly assured of a Cabinet berth before polls.
The Congress top leadership has already obtained the views of the TPCC chief, Uttam Kumar Reddy, deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and outgoing All Indian Congress Committee general secretary Deepa Das Munshi individually.
Vikramarka is said to be pushing for Mancherial legislator Prem Sagar Rao, while AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge is favouring Vekiti Srihari, who comes from the Backwards Class Mudiraj community and represents Makthal constituency in Mahbubnagar district.
Meanwhile, the National Congress leadership has delivered a shock to state Congress leaders who have been having a free run ever since the party came to power.
Meenakshi Natarajan, the new AICC general secretary in charge for the State, is known to be a no-nonsense woman with impeccable honesty and integrity.
A former MP from Madhya Pradesh, who has risen through the ranks, Meenakshi is considered as a key member of Rahul’s team. Her appointment comes amidst reports of Delhi leadership not being happy over the state of affairs, particularly allegations of corruption against ministers.
Unlike her predecessor, Deepa Das, who soft pedaled during her one year stint, Meenakshi is expected to tighten the screws and restore a sense of accountability among senior leaders, particularly ministers.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
