Mancherial MLA Premsagar Rao expresses disappointment over cabinet snub

Mancherial MLA K. Premsagar Rao expressed disappointment over being excluded from the Telangana cabinet expansion, despite his key role in reviving the Congress in Adilabad. Party leaders met Rao to pacify him, but tensions remain among district cadres

Mancherial: Mancherial MLA K Premsagar Rao is reportedly disheartened after being left out of the much-anticipated Cabinet expansion undertaken on Sunday.

Rao, who had high expectations of being inducted, had pinned his hopes on the expansion, considering his pivotal role in reviving the Congress party’s fortunes in the erstwhile Adilabad district. He is credited with playing a key part in restoring the party’s past glory in the region after nearly two decades.

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According to party insiders, Rao was instrumental in breathing new life into the Congress at a time when it had virtually lost its presence in the composite Adilabad district. He is said to have been the driving force behind the party’s successful meeting in Indervelli in 2021 — a morale booster for the leadership and cadre — which many believe laid the foundation for the party’s performance in the 2023 Assembly elections.

Despite his loyalty and contributions, Rao’s name did not figure in the list of newly appointed ministers. Expressing his disappointment in private conversations, he reportedly told his supporters: “I have been denied justice despite reviving the party in this region. Offering ministerial posts to turncoats sends a wrong message to the cadre. Had I been given a berth, it would have inspired many loyalists.”

In an effort to pacify him, AICC Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan, TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud, and Minister Ponnam Prabhakar reportedly met Rao in Hyderabad and assured him of a prominent role in the next phase of Cabinet expansion.

Despite these efforts, Rao is said to remain unhappy over the snub. Party cadres in the Mancherial district are also showing signs of a growing divide, with Rao’s supporters reluctant to participate in events involving Minister G. Vivek. Tensions between the two camps are already visible, especially over protocol-related issues at official events.