There are three more berths to be filled up in the cabinet of Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy and there is hectic lobbying by the MLAs belonging to different caste and regional groups.
On Friday, All India Congress Committee president Mallikarjun Kharge came to Hyderabad along with AICC general secretary K C Venugopal and held a meeting of the party seniors at Gandhi Bhavan.
Naturally, the aspirants for the cabinet berths have thronged the Gandhi Bhavan to present their case. They explained regional and social equations and urging him to consider their inclusion in the cabinet.
Aspiring ministers including MLAs Premsagar Rao, Sudharshan Reddy, Mallareddy Ranga Reddy, Rammohan Reddy, and Balu Naik held personal meetings with Kharge and Venugopal.
They highlighted their qualifications and reminded him of their contributions to the party. They also emphasized their sacrifices, noting that they had even developed hostilities with close relatives for the sake of the party.
Some leaders expressed their frustration, pointing out that while they had been long associated with the party, cabinet positions were being given to newcomers.
For example, senior MLA from Ibrahimpatnam Malreddy Ranga Reddy complained that despite Hyderabad and the undivided Ranga Reddy districts having significant political relevance, neither region received a cabinet berth, which, he warned, could send a negative message to the public.
Similarly, veteran leader Sudharshan Reddy from Nizamabad argued for his inclusion based on his seniority and local political dynamics, citing the BJP’s growing influence in urban areas.
MLA Balu Naik raised concerns over alleged injustice to the Banjara community in the cabinet allocations, while MLA Rammohan Reddy submitted a detailed report justifying his eligibility for a ministerial position.
According to party sources, Kharge, after hearing everyone’s views, clearly conveyed the party's stand on the matter.
Following these discussions, Kharge held internal deliberations with senior leaders about the social composition of the current cabinet.
While he refrained from making any firm promises to individual leaders, it is learned that he sought detailed information on the social balancing strategies adopted by rival parties like BRS and BJP.
Notably, most of the leaders lobbying for cabinet positions belonged to the Reddy community.
Kharge studied the existing representation of this community in the cabinet and told the party leaders that there might not be possible to give more berths to the Reddys.
He said there were challenges in accommodating more members from the same group, given that only three cabinet positions remain vacant. This would mean, there would be no more Reddys in the Revanth cabinet.
Sources said this might lead to revolt from some Reddy leaders, particularly Malreddy Ranga Reddy and Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, though veteran Sudershsan Reddy might not revolt against the party.
