Three New Ministers Inducted in Telangana Cabinet

Telangana’s cabinet will witness its first expansion since December 2023, with three legislators from the ruling Congress party scheduled to be sworn in as ministers on Sunday. G Vivek Venkata Swamy, Adluri Laxman Kumar, and Vakiti Srihari are to be inducted during a ceremony at Raj Bhavan at 12 noon, as confirmed by media reports.

Chennur MLA Vivek Venkata Swamy, Dharmapuri MLA Adluri Laxman Kumar, and Makthal MLA Vakiti Srihari have been selected to join the ministerial ranks. Dornakal MLA Jatoth Ramachandru Naik is set to take charge as Deputy Speaker of the Telangana Legislative Assembly. 

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy extended congratulations to the appointees, posting on X to convey his wishes to Ramachandru Naik on his new role.

The appointments come following prolonged discussions with the Congress’s national leadership in Delhi, concluding several weeks of uncertainty surrounding the cabinet expansion. 

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, along with Telangana Congress president B Mahesh Kumar Goud, engaged in consultations with the AICC over the final list of ministers and internal appointments in the state party unit. The selections are intended to reflect the government’s emphasis on ensuring social representation across communities.

Since the Congress formed the government in December last year, six cabinet posts have remained unfilled out of the 18 permitted under the Constitution. Eleven ministers were appointed shortly after the new government assumed office, leaving substantial lobbying and contention for the remaining six positions. With three now filled, three vacancies remain.

All three ministers being inducted are first-term MLAs. While Vivek Venkata Swamy previously served as a Member of Parliament between 2009 and 2014, this is his debut term as an MLA. Adluri Laxman Kumar and Vakiti Srihari are also serving their first legislative terms. 

The new ministers represent a cross-section of marginalised communities: Vivek is from the Mala Scheduled Caste, Laxman is from the Madiga subcaste of the Scheduled Castes, and Srihari belongs to the Mudiraj community under the Backward Classes. Ramachandru Naik, the new Deputy Speaker, is a member of a Scheduled Tribe.

The Congress high command’s decision on the expansion was reportedly at odds with the preferences of the Chief Minister. Revanth Reddy had persistently sought the inclusion of Bodhan MLA P Sudarshan Reddy, reportedly proposing him for the Home portfolio. 

His request, however, was not accommodated, with party sources indicating that delays in the expansion were due in part to Revanth’s insistence on his candidate rather than any indecision at the central level.

When the official communication reached Hyderabad on Sunday morning listing the names of Vivek, Laxman, and Srihari, Sudarshan Reddy was notably absent. Reddy’s repeated appeals, including an offer to support any other MLAs alongside Sudarshan, were reportedly set aside. Party insiders revealed that state unit president B Mahesh Kumar Goud had also opposed Sudarshan Reddy’s inclusion, further complicating the Chief Minister’s position.

Among the strategic considerations in the selection was caste representation. Vivek was offered a cabinet role as part of an earlier commitment made during his induction into the party. To ensure balanced representation within the Scheduled Castes, the party allocated a position to the Madiga sub-group by selecting Laxman Kumar. Vakiti Srihari’s appointment is believed to have been supported directly by Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge.

In a clear indication of the party’s stance, the Congress leadership conveyed that no legislator from a forward caste would be considered for the remaining cabinet positions. Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, MLA from Munugode, was among those excluded despite prior assurances when he rejoined the Congress from the BJP. The decision not to include him was linked to his brother Komatireddy Venkat Reddy’s existing cabinet role as Minister for Roads and Buildings.

Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka also failed to secure a position for Mancherial MLA A Premsagar Rao, who belongs to the Velama community, a forward caste. Rao had publicly voiced his displeasure over being sidelined, particularly after Vivek’s name emerged as a likely appointee. 

At a public event attended by Vikramarka and IT Minister D Sridhar Babu, Premsagar warned that he might explore options outside the Congress if left out of the cabinet. Despite this, the central leadership, disapproving of any public dissent, chose not to entertain such demands and reiterated its policy of excluding forward caste candidates from the current round of appointments.

The final decision came after detailed deliberations led by Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan, who consulted with MLAs and held one-on-one discussions with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to assess the suitability of candidates. 

 

(With inputs from agencies)