file photo Feb 26-2021
Hyderabad : Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy embarked on a visit to Delhi on Friday to engage in discussions with Congress leaders regarding the allocation of portfolios to ministers and the expansion of his Cabinet.
After being sworn in as Chief Minister and participating in several events, Reddy departed for the national capital via a special aircraft from Begumpet Airport.
During his visit, he is scheduled to hold talks with AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and other senior leaders to finalize the portfolios for the 11 ministers who took the oath with him the previous day.
The expansion of the Cabinet will also be on the agenda during his discussions with the central leadership. The names of six ministers are expected to be confirmed in the coming days.
The state has a maximum capacity of 18 ministers, including the Chief Minister, and there are various demands for ministerial berths. The Congress leadership is particularly focused on ensuring representation for those sections that may have been overlooked.
With no Muslim candidates elected in the recent Assembly elections, the party is considering the inclusion of one or two Muslim representatives, potentially nominating them to the Legislative Council. Among those under consideration are senior leader Mohammed Ali Shabbir and TPCC working president Mohammed Azharuddin.
Shabbir Ali, a former minister in the united Andhra Pradesh Cabinet, lost the election from Nizamabad Urban, while Azharuddin faced defeat in the Jubilee Hills constituency.
There are also appeals to accommodate senior leaders like former minister Jeevan Reddy, Madhu Yaskhi Goud, and Jagga Reddy, who were unsuccessful in their Assembly election bids.
Despite winning 64 seats in the 119-member Assembly, the Congress party’s newly-elected MLAs make up the entirety of the sworn-in ministers. Several other MLAs are strong contenders for Cabinet positions.
The party is expected to prioritize communities and regions that were not adequately represented in the initial Cabinet formation. The central leadership will play a crucial role in deciding the portfolios to be assigned to the incoming ministers.
