Even as the Revanth Reddy government in Telangana remains in a dilemma over holding local body elections due to uncertainty regarding the extension of 42% reservations for backward classes, state information minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy has stirred controversy by announcing that the elections would be held in the first week of July.
The elections have been overdue for more than a year, and currently, gram panchayats, mandal parishads, and zilla parishads are being managed by special officers.
Although Ponguleti joined the Congress party only ahead of the Telangana elections in November 2023, he considers himself one of the most important leaders of the party and the No. 2 in the state cabinet.
His frequent off-the-cuff public statements have often created trouble for the Revanth Reddy government. Many of his announcements as minister have turned out to be either inaccurate or have failed to materialize.
Worse still, Ponguleti frequently comments on issues beyond his jurisdiction, leading to friction within the government.
Some Congress leaders allege that he tries to project himself as the de facto "number two" in the government and engages in attention-seeking behavior.
His proximity to the chief minister is seen as one reason for his interference in the affairs of other ministers.
However, his latest statement about conducting local body elections in the first or second week of July has reportedly put Revanth Reddy in a difficult position.
What further irritated the chief minister is that Ponguleti was not authorized to speak on the issue of local body elections, which falls under the panchayat raj department, headed by Dhanasari Seethakka.
Apparently annoyed by Ponguleti’s remarks, Revanth Reddy is said to have asked PCC chief Mahesh Kumar Goud to warn the minister.
Goud expressed his displeasure, questioning how a minister could speak to the media about cabinet-level decisions without prior discussion with the party leadership.
He specifically criticized Ponguleti’s comments on election reservations, which are still under review.
“Such announcements must come only after consultations with party leadership and cabinet approval,” he said.
