Congress MLAs voice discontent to Mallikarjun Kharge over cabinet allocation

Several Congress MLAs met AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge in Hyderabad on Thursday evening, seeking cabinet berths and expressing dissatisfaction over regional and community representation. Kharge is expected to meet senior leaders on Friday to discuss the situation.

Hyderabad: A few Congress MLAs aspiring for cabinet berths met AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge late on Thursday evening and appealed to him to consider their long-pending pleas.

The AICC chief arrived in the city to participate in the party’s village presidents’ commemoration programme at LB Stadium on Friday. Soon after his arrival at a hotel, several Congress Ministers, MLAs and other leaders queued up to meet him.

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Mancherial MLA Prem Sagar Rao, Ibrahimpatnam MLA Malreddy Ranga Reddy, Devarkonda MLA Balu Naik, Bodhan MLA Sudershan Reddy and a few others held one-on-one meetings with the AICC chief. Interestingly, Munugode MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy, who is also aspiring for a cabinet berth, did not attend the meeting, party sources said.

Ibrahimpatnam MLA Malreddy Ranga Reddy reiterated his demand for cabinet representation for MLAs from Greater Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy district. He expressed strong displeasure at the neglect of these regions in the allotment of cabinet berths. He also pointed out that two to three MLAs were inducted into the cabinet from some districts, while Ranga Reddy continued to be sidelined.

It is learnt that the Mancherial MLA was offered the Government Chief Whip post, but he refused the offer and insisted on a cabinet berth. The sulking MLA reportedly left the venue disappointed, and Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka tried to pacify him.

Devarkonda MLA Balu Naik stressed that Scheduled Tribe communities had supported the Congress in the elections but have not received due representation in the cabinet. The AICC chief reportedly assured him that an appropriate post would be offered in the coming days.

Amid these appeals, Kharge is also expected to convene a meeting with senior leaders, including Ministers, at Gandhi Bhavan on Friday to discuss the state of affairs in the party and other key issues.