Cabinet expansion likely after local polls

Hyderabad: The much-awaited expansion of state Cabinet seems to have been delayed further despite repeated efforts by the state leadership to get the approval from the Congress high command for the same. With the names suggested for vacant posts in the Cabinet not conforming to the ‘social justice’ norms within the party, the exercise is believed to have been put on the back burner for now, notwithstanding the recent Delhi visits of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud.

Given the present political scenario in Telangana and bickering within the Congress party, the issue of the Cabinet expansion does not seem to be the main concern for the party high command. However, with the presence of TPCC president and Chief Minister in New Delhi in the past few days, there was animated discussion among the Congress leaders about the possibility of the AICC giving nod for the Cabinet expansion. However, the party’s main priority seems to be winning the ensuing local body polls in Telangana.

The issue of the Cabinet expansion is likely to be taken up only after the election results. The state leadership will remain silent over the matter and the issue is less likely to be discussed till the local body polls are over, party sources said.

Moreover, the state leadership now has to walk the talk by accommodating the 42 per cent quota for Backward Classes (BCs) in the local body polls. With Revanth Reddy hinting at the possibility of going for local body polls in July, BC leaders in the party are likely to demand more tickets and Mahesh Goud, being a BC leader, has a challenging task to provide that promised quota. It is believed that based on the performance in the local body polls, it is very likely that a few ministers may lose their berths. That will obviously pay way for more MLAs getting Cabinet berths.

The present Cabinet has 11 ministers, including the Chief Minister, and six ministerial berths are vacant.

CM Revanth Reddy holds key portfolios including Municipal Administration & Urban Development (MA&UD), General Administration, Law & Order (Home) and all other unallocated portfolios. This is said to be impacting the administration. Furthermore, the old districts of Adilabad, Nizamabad, Ranga Reddy and Hyderabad do not have any representation in the present state Cabinet. Legislators from these areas are pushing hard for their candidatures and have been lobbying at different levels for the past several months. But there will be clarity on the Cabinet expansion only after local body elections, Congress sources say.