Telangana Congress under pressure as unhappy communities demand cabinet berths, party posts

Despite Telangana Congress projecting its cabinet expansion as inclusive, discontent brews among communities like BCs, minorities, and Banjaras over perceived lack of representation. With three cabinet vacancies left, several groups are demanding immediate appointments ahead of local body elections.

Hyderabad: Even as the Telangana Congress projects its cabinet expansion and party appointments as a step towards ‘social justice’, discontent is brewing within several communities over what they perceive as uneven representation.

Feeling sidelined by the State leadership, leaders and members of various communities within the Congress have begun rallying behind their legislators and public figures, demanding cabinet berths and prominent posts in the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC).

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Following the recent cabinet expansion approved by the Congress high command, Chennur MLA Vivek Venkatswamy (Mala), Dharmapuri MLA Adluri Laxman (Madiga), and Makthal MLA V Srihari (Mudiraj) were inducted into the cabinet. The party claimed that the move gave top priority to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Backward Classes (BCs).

However, several communities have questioned the rationale behind the allocations. Notably, an upper caste group with a population of around six lakh in the State has received four cabinet berths, while the BCs, who constitute nearly 56 percent of the population, have been allotted only three.

Last week, leaders from the Munnuru Kapu community met TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud at Gandhi Bhavan and pressed for the induction of Vemulawada MLA Aadi Srinivas into the cabinet. Similarly, Alair MLA Beerla Ilaiah demanded representation under the Golla Kuruma category.

Meanwhile, a group of Banjara leaders reportedly held a meeting at a hotel in Hyderabad on Sunday, resolving to raise a formal demand before the high command for a cabinet berth for the Lambada community.

Minority leaders have also expressed dissatisfaction, stating that though their votes are crucial to the party, they continue to be overlooked in both cabinet and key organisational appointments.

Despite three vacancies remaining in the cabinet after the recent expansion, speculation is rife that further appointments may be deferred until after the local body elections. However, many communities are unwilling to wait, asserting that the current moment presents a crucial opportunity for representation.