Hyderabad: Frustrated senior Congress leaders eyeing cabinet berths are raising shrill voices in public.

Due to pulls and pressures from aspirants, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and the Congress High Command put the much-delayed cabinet expansion on hold.

After Munugode MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy who not only sought cabinet berth but also accused senior party colleague from Nalgonda K Jana Reddy of putting spokes, another senior Congress leader and Mancherial MLA K Premsagar Rao lamented at a public meeting on Monday that “new entrants” to the party were trying to deny a cabinet berth.

Premsagar Rao indirectly targeted Chennur MLA Gaddam Vivek Venkatswamy and his brother Bellampalli MLA Gaddam Vinod Kumar for trying to scuttle his chances, pleading, “Please don’t deny me a cabinet berth and do injustice to the combined Adilabad district. I stood by the party during trying times. Those who joined recently are talking about a cabinet berth. Please, don’t trouble me.”

Chance for six cabinet ministers

At present, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has 12 cabinet ministers, and six more can be inducted. There is a talk in Congress circles that the High Command has okayed the induction of four Ministers. There were rumours that it would take place on Ugadi day, then after the assembly session, but it remained a dream.

Congress High Command has also reportedly okayed the appointment of Deputy Speaker and Chief Whip in the Legislative Assembly.

Rajagopal targets Jana Reddy

However, the first salvo was fired by Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy who questioned Senior party leader K Jana Reddy shooting off a letter to AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal requesting for cabinet berths to MLAs from combined Ranga Reddy and Hyderabad districts.

Rajagopal Reddy, speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of market committee members in Choutuppal on Sunday, alleged that deserving leaders are being sidelined.

Pointing an accusing finger at Kunduru Jana Reddy, he remarked sarcastically, “He (Jana Reddy) should be playing the role of Dharmaraja in Congress politics, but behaving like Dhritarashtra (blind king).”

Two brothers eye berths

When asked whether two ministers could come from the same family, Rajagopal shot back. “When brothers Yusuf and Irfan Pathan played together for India, why should it be a problem if two family members hold ministerial posts in a State? Congress assured me a ministerial berth if Chamakura Kiran Kumar Reddy was elected MP from Bhongir.”

He added, “For me, a ministerial post is not a crown but a responsibility. It is painful to keep asking for a post. I joined Congress to defeat KCR, which I did. I carry myself with dignity. I don’t beg for positions. I deserve it.”

There is a long list of aspirants for cabinet berths from various districts, castes, and communities.

MLCs in the race

Party sources say that the names of Amer Ali Khan and Vijayashanti are doing the rounds.

With the party playing 42 percent BC card and backing categorisation of SCs, there is a demand from these sections too, besides the politically strong Reddy community.

Prominent BC MLAs Vakiti Srihari, from the Mudiraj community, and Aadi Srinivas of the Munnuru Kapu community are among the aspirants, as there is currently no representation in the Cabinet from the two dominant BC communities.

MLAs from the SC (Madiga) community have written to AICC Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan, seeking priority for them in the cabinet expansion over the Malas, arguing that they represent a population of 60 lakh in the State.

Besides, Malreddy Ranga Reddy (Ibrahimpatnam), Tammannagari Rammohan Reddy (Parigi), Bodhan MLA P Sudharshan Reddy are in the queue.

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