Hyderabad / Delhi: Telangana is set to expand its cabinet after several meetings between state leaders and the Congress High Command. Rahul Gandhi, the Opposition Leader in the Lok Sabha, has reportedly approved the expansion plans proposed by the PCC.
On Monday, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and PCC President B Mahesh Kumar Goud had an extensive discussion in Delhi with AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal. They later met Rahul Gandhi to talk about the cabinet expansion and the possibility of adding a new PCC executive. The delay in this process was mainly due to balancing caste and social representation.
The AICC is now focused on removing these hurdles at the top level. Another meeting with the party’s High Command will soon address the restructuring of the State executive. Revanth Reddy and Mahesh Goud plan to finalize the names in Delhi by May 30.
Mahesh Goud informed the media in Delhi that Rahul Gandhi has now approved the cabinet expansion. Out of six available seats, five will be filled immediately, with numerous candidates vying for positions. The PCC chief advocates for two BC candidates, which limits opportunities for upper castes. Leading contenders include Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy and Sudarshan Reddy from the Reddy community, along with BC candidates Beerla Ilaiah and Whip Aadi Srinivas.
From the ST community, Balu Naik and Ramchadra Naik are hopeful for selection. Other candidates in the mix are Vivek Venkataswamy, Vakiti Srihari, and Prem Sagar. The party also plans to accommodate those not chosen in upcoming PCC executive committees.
In April, former Home Minister Jana Reddy requested the high command to consider MLAs from the former Rangareddy and Hyderabad districts for cabinet roles, supporting Ibrahimpatnam MLA Malreddy Ranga Reddy. Currently, the cabinet includes four members from the Reddy community, two each from BC and SC groups, and one each from Brahmin, Kamma, Velama, and ST, totaling 12 members, including Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.
