Revanth inducts 3 ministers, Cong sticks to social justice

Time of India

4 hours ago

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Hyderabad: Bringing an end to prolonged political suspense, chief minister A
Revanth Reddy
on Sunday expanded his cabinet for the first time since assuming office in Dec 2023. Three new ministers – G Vivek Venkatswamy, Adluri Laxman Kumar, and Vakiti Srihari – were inducted, reflecting the
Congress party
's continued focus on caste and regional balance, as well as its internal political calculations.
The swearing-in ceremony took place at Raj Bhavan, where governor Jishnu Dev Varma administered the oath of office. The portfolios are yet to be announced.
In a parallel move, the Congress has also decided to nominate Dornakal MLA J Ramachandra Naik as deputy speaker of the legislative assembly. The position has remained vacant for over a year-and-a-half, and the official notification is expected to be issued in the coming week.
Though the cabinet can have up to 18 ministers, Revanth has chosen to fill only three of the six vacant berths at this time. The decision to keep three positions open suggests that the party is leaving room for future manoeuvring – especially in light of continuing demands from various quarters within the Congress.
The caste configuration of the new ministers appears carefully calibrated: Vivek Venkatswamy belongs to the SC Mala community, Laxman Kumar to the SC Madiga group, and Srihari to the BC Mudiraj community.
Ramachandra Naik represents the Scheduled Tribes. This move raises the total number of SCs in the 15-member cabinet to four, along with four Reddys, three BCs, one Kamma, one Brahmin, one Velama, and one ST – leaving no representation from minorities or the legislative council for now.
Chennur MLA Vivek Venkatswamy, a former MP from Peddapalli (2009–2014), is serving his first term as an MLA. Laxman Kumar, a seasoned Congress hand from Dharmapuri, is also a first-time legislator and currently serves as the govt chief whip.
Srihari, a former Youth Congress leader, was elected for the first time from Makthal constituency in the 2023 assembly polls.
Talks of cabinet expansion had intensified since Saturday, though the govt and the party maintained silence until Sunday morning. It was only a few hours before the swearing-in that the chief minister took to X to officially announce the names of the new ministers and the deputy speaker nominee.
Party insiders suggest that immense lobbying and internal pressures delayed the expansion for months. At one stage, it was expected that four of the six vacancies would be filled, with at least one seat earmarked for a member from the minority or OC (other castes) communities.
Names doing the rounds included former minister and Bodhan MLA P Sudarshan Reddy, Munugode MLA Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy, Ibrahimpatnam MLA Malreddy Ranga Reddy, and Mancherial MLA K Prem Sagar Rao – all from OC backgrounds – besides MLC Amer Ali Khan and govt advisor Mohammed Ali Shabbir from the minorities.
However, in the final call, none from the OC or minority communities were included – a decision that has drawn attention and is likely to be addressed in a subsequent round of expansion, sources said.
Notably, no member from the legislative council has found a place in the cabinet. MLCs like Vijayashanti, Addanki Dayakar, and Amer Ali had lobbied hard for ministerial berths but were left out, with the leadership opting to restrict the cabinet choices to MLAs alone.
The latest expansion reflects the Congress' attempt to maintain a delicate caste and political balance while keeping the door open for future negotiations and adjustments, a senior analyst said.