Congress likely to fill cabinet vacancies only after local body elections

The Congress high command is likely to fill the remaining three Cabinet berths in Telangana only after the local body elections. Performance reviews of MLAs and Ministers, as well as social justice considerations, are influencing the delayed decision-making process.

Hyderabad: Aspirants eyeing the three vacant berths in the Cabinet will have to wait longer, as the Congress high command is expected to approve filling the vacancies only after the local body elections.

Last Sunday, three Ministers were inducted into the Cabinet after nearly 18 months. While citing the three remaining Cabinet vacancies, the Congress high command plans to assess various aspects, including the performance of MLAs.

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Last week, TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud had openly stated that the performance of the majority of MLAs was poor and not up to the mark. He had even said that the responsibility for improving their performance rested with the MLAs themselves.

With speculation rife over a possible reshuffle of ministerial portfolios, the high command is also expected to review the performance of sitting Ministers before taking a final call, said a senior leader from Gandhi Bhavan.

“Further, a few Ministers have hit headlines for the wrong reasons, including allegations of commissions. All these factors will be considered before reshuffling and filling up the remaining three vacancies,” the leader pointed out.

Bodhan MLA Sudershan Reddy, Munugode MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy and Mancherial MLA Prem Sagar Rao were considered front runners for Cabinet berths. However, they were left disappointed by the high command’s decision.

The State leadership has been asserting that top priority has been accorded to SC, ST and BC communities in the allocation of Cabinet berths, as well as in appointments of TPCC vice presidents and general secretaries. Considering these factors, buzz in Gandhi Bhavan suggests that upper caste MLAs may be given serious consideration in the next Cabinet expansion to ensure social justice.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s Cabinet was sworn in with 11 Ministers on December 7, 2023. Three vacancies remain, and the delay in filling them has been creating growing unrest among aspirants and certain communities.