With LS polls over, Cong focusses on Telangana Cabinet expansion

Hyderabad, June 7: With Lok Sabha elections over, the ruling Congress in Telangana has started focussing on the state Cabinet’s expansion and the appointment of a new state President.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Friday left for New Delhi to attend a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting called to discuss the results of the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls.

He is likely to discuss the long-pending Cabinet expansion with the party’s central leadership.

The Congress government on Friday completed six months at the helm of the state.

CM Revanth Reddy and his 11 Cabinet colleagues had taken oath on December 7, 2023.

Though CM Revanth Reddy had discussed the issue of Cabinet expansion with central leaders during his visits to Delhi, no decision could be taken as the leadership was busy with the preparations for the Lok Sabha polls.

Now with the poll process completed, the party is preparing to undertake the expansion.

Many aspirants of Cabinet berths have been waiting for the expansion and the names of six ministers are likely to be finalised soon.

The state can have a maximum of 18 ministers including the Chief Minister.

There are demands from various quarters for the ministerial berths. The Congress leadership is keen to give representation to those sections who were left out.

Since no Muslim candidate of the Congress party was elected in the November 30 Assembly elections, the leadership is understood to be mulling a proposal to induct a Muslim leader and later nominate him to the Legislative Council.

There are demands to accommodate senior leaders like Madhu Yaskhi Goud and Jagga Reddy, who could not get elected to the Assembly.

The party is likely to give priority to communities and regions, which could not be given representation while constituting the Cabinet.

CM Revanth Reddy is also likely to seek the approval of the central leadership for filling nominated posts like chairpersons of various corporations.

The Congress party had wrested power from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in the November 30 Assembly election, bagging 64 seats in 119-member House.

The ruling party increased its tally to 65 by winning the Secunderabad Cantonment seat, bye-election for which was held along with Lok Sabha polls on May 13.

The Congress leadership is also likely to appoint a new President to the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC), a post currently being held by CM Revanth Reddy.

Though the appointment of new TPCC President was discussed after Revanth Reddy was made the Chief Minister, the central leadership had decided not to make a change till Lok Sabha elections.

Revanth Reddy was appointed TPCC President in 2021.