Telangana cabinet expansion: Congress leaves room for future rejig, CM inducts only 3 ministers

HYDERABAD: The Cabinet, which was expanded on Sunday, saw first-time MLAs making it to the list. Chennur legislator Vivek Venkatswamy, a former MP from Peddapalli (2009-2014), is serving his first term as an MLA. Laxman Kumar, a seasoned Congress hand from Dharmapuri, is also a first-time legislator and currently serves as the govt chief whip. Srihari, a former Youth Congress leader, was elected for the first time from Makthal constituency in the 2023 polls. Though the cabinet can have up to 18 ministers, Revanth has chosen to fill only three of the six vacant berths at this time. The decision to keep three positions open suggests that the party is leaving room for future manoeuvring-especially in light of continuing demands from various quarters within the Congress.

Talks of cabinet expansion had intensified since Saturday, though the govt and the party maintained silence until Sunday morning. It was only a few hours before the swearing-in that the chief minister took to X to officially announce the names of the new ministers and the deputy speaker nominee. Party insiders suggest that immense lobbying and internal pressures delayed the expansion for months. At one stage, it was expected that four of the six vacancies would be filled, with at least one seat earmarked for a member from the minority or OC (other castes) communities.

Names doing the rounds included former minister and Bodhan MLA P Sudarshan Reddy, Munugode MLA Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy, Ibrahimpatnam MLA Malreddy Ranga Reddy, and Mancherial MLA K Prem Sagar Rao - all from OC backgrounds - besides MLC Amer Ali Khan and govt advisor Mohammed Ali Shabbir from the minorities. However, in the final call, none from the OC or minority communities were included-a decision that has drawn attention and is likely to be addressed in a subsequent round of expansion, sources said. Notably, no member from the legislative council has found a place in the cabinet. MLCs like Vijayashanti, Addanki Dayakar, and Amer Ali had lobbied hard for ministerial berths but were left out, with the leadership opting to restrict the cabinet choices to MLAs alone. The latest expansion reflects the Congress party's attempt to maintain a delicate caste and political balance while keeping the door open for future negotiations and adjustments, a senior analyst said.