Three Congress MLAs Sworn In as Ministers in Telangana Cabinet Expansion Focused on Social Justice

On Sunday, the Telangana government saw its first cabinet expansion under Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. Congress MLAs G Vivek Venkata Swamy, Adluri Laxman Kumar, and Vakiti Srihari were sworn in as ministers. Governor Jishnu Dev Varma administered the oath at Raj Bhavan, with Chief Minister Reddy and other leaders present. This expansion ended weeks of speculation regarding the council of ministers.

The Telangana cabinet now has 15 ministers, including the Chief Minister, leaving three vacancies. The decision followed discussions between CM Reddy, state Congress president B Mahesh Kumar Goud, and AICC leadership in Delhi about cabinet appointments and party roles. The full cabinet strength is 18 members.

Focus on Social Justice

The recent appointments highlight Congress's focus on social justice. Vivek Venkata Swamy and Adluri Laxman Kumar belong to the SC Mala and SC Madiga communities respectively. Vakiti Srihari represents the backward classes. Additionally, Ramchander Naik from the ST community was congratulated by Reddy for becoming Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.

Vivek Venkata Swamy, son of late Congress veteran G Venkataswamy, is a senior leader who previously served as a Lok Sabha member. Known as Vivek, he began his political journey with Congress but also worked with BRS and BJP before returning to Congress before the 2023 assembly elections. He also led the Hyderabad Cricket Association.

Caste Balance Considerations

State Congress president Mahesh Kumar Goud emphasised that caste balance was a key factor in the cabinet expansion. The decisions were based on a caste survey conducted by the Congress government and SC categorisation. Three more cabinet positions remain unfilled.

To address concerns of those not included in the cabinet, AICC incharge Meenakshi Natarajan and Mahesh Kumar Goud visited residences of disappointed MLAs like P Sudarshan Reddy and Prem Sagar. Goud also met MLA Malreddy Ranga Reddy to address his concerns about the expansion process.

Ranga Reddy expressed that he would not oppose the party's decision despite his disappointment. He shared his views with party leadership, hoping for corrective measures based on his feedback.

The appointment of state Congress office bearers has been pending since September 2024 when Goud became Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president. The recent developments reflect ongoing efforts to balance representation within the party's leadership structure.

With inputs from PTI