Keen on having his ‘stamp’ on the Telangana cabinet, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is lobbying for and against who should be his council of ministers.
Published Aug 26, 2024 | 8:45 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 26, 2024 | 8:50 PM
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy (centre) in a meeting with government officials on Monday, 26 February, 2024. (Supplied)
While Congress is mulling over who it should accommodate in Telangana cabinet expansion, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is said to be zeroing in on who he doesn’t want to be inducted.
Keen on having a “Revanth Reddy stamp” on his council of ministers, the Telangana CM has his eyes set on two MLAs who he doesn’t want in the cabinet. There are six vacant berths in the Telangana cabinet and Congress is torn between keeping up promises and maintaining balances.
Revanth Reddy, it seems, is keen on blocking Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy’s induction into the cabinet. Rajagopal Reddy is the brother of Telangana minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy. A miffed Rajagopal had quit as MLA of Munugode and left the Congress to join BJP in 2022. After losing the seat to BRS in a bypoll, Rajagopal Reddy returned to the Congress ahead of the Telangana Assembly elections in 2023 but not before the party promised him a State cabinet berth.
Rajagopal Reddy was left out of the cabinet in the first round of inductions even as his brother Venkat Reddy was made a minister. With the lure of a berth dangling in front of him, Rajagopal Reddy also ensured Congress’ victory in the Bhongir Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls despite the candidate – Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy – being a close aide of Revanth Reddy.
With elections behind him, Revanth Reddy is now adamant that he doesn’t want Rajagopal Reddy in the cabinet. Sources suggest that the CM has pointed to possibilities of others in the cabinet too pushing for family members to be accommodated.
A case in point is the second MLA that Revanth doesn’t want in his council of ministers – Uttam Kumar Reddy’s wife, N Padmavathi Reddy. Former Telangana Congress president Uttam Kumar Reddy had to threaten to quit the party just to ensure his wife got a ticket to contest as MLA from Kodad. Now, he is fighting to secure a berth for her in the Telangana cabinet.
Uttam Kumar is said to have written to the Congress leadership to induct his wife Padmavathi into the cabinet by virtue of being a loyal Congress worker. His argument is that Congress should accommodate leaders who have been loyal to the party instead of rewarding those who have been opportunistic and jumped ships at their convenience.
While Revanth is said to be actively lobbying against induction of Rajagopal Reddy and Padmavathi Reddy, there are a few more MLAs that he prefers not to have in the cabinet. Among them is Mancherial MLA Kokkirala Premsagar Rao. A Velama by community, Rao is a former AICC member who is credited with reviving Congress in the Adilabad district.
Revanth’s primary grouse against these MLAs becoming ministers is their standing as independent leaders who do not need Revanth Reddy’s support or endorsement. For Revanth, who is trying to stamp his authority on his cabinet, leaders with strong independent standing may become impediments.
In his attempt to have “his men” in the cabinet, Revanth would rather induct Makthal MLA Vakiti Srihari. Hailing from the Mudiraju community, to which BJP leader Eatala Rajendra belongs, Revanth is looking to prop up Srihari as the backward class representative the Congress needs in the cabinet. It doesn’t hurt that Srihari’s loyalties will lie firmly with Revanth first.
Bodhan MLA Sudarshan Reddy is another potential minister as Revanth Reddy sees. Other than defeating BRS in a challenging district like Nizamabad, Sudarshan Reddy is a kin of the Chief Minister.
Sources suggest Revanth Reddy is also pushing for a Muslim to be inducted into the cabinet. Congress, however, does not have a Muslim MLA. While Shabbir Ali, the most popular Muslim face of the party in Telangana is already appointed as Advisor to the Government with cabinet rank, Revanth is said to be looking to elevate another Muslim leader as MLC and induct them as minister.
Revanth Reddy’s picks to include and exclude isn’t limited just to the cabinet.
South First had earlier reported that Mahesh Goud was emerging as the front runner to replace Revanth Reddy as Telangana Congress chief. The CM is said to be lobbying for Balram Naik for the post. His argument is that a leader from the Scheduled Tribe Lambani/Banjara community at the helm of affairs could strike a cord with the community not just in Telangana but neighbouring Maharashtra that is prepping for Assembly elections.
While there are no rumblings in the government or the party in Telangana currently, the silence could be the calm before a storm as the cabinet expansion is expected to ruffle feathers. Given Revanth Reddy himself is lobbying against inducting some MLAs, dissent seems to be lurking in the corner for Congress in Telangana.
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