HYDERABAD: The coming days are likely to see key changes in the Congress government in Telangana — the state Cabinet will not just be expanded, there will be a reshuffle of key portfolios.
According to sources, portfolios of key ministers are likely to be changed. Sources hastened to stress that the change of portfolios should not be seen as an act of discipline but as a strategic move to ensure a more balanced distribution of power within the Cabinet.
They pointed out that some ministers currently hold multiple crucial portfolios, which demand considerable attention. The Congress high command, in response to this, is believed to have decided to decentralise the responsibilities among various ministers, aiming to create a more balanced governance structure and to avoid the concentration of power in the hands of a few.
Currently, several ministers in the Revanth Reddy Cabinet oversee multiple portfolios. For example, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka is responsible for Finance, Planning and Energy, while N Uttam Kumar Reddy manages Irrigation and CAD as well as Food and Civil Supplies. Similarly, Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy handles three portfolios — Revenue, Housing and Information & Public Relations.
Danasari Anasuya (Seethakka) is tasked with overseeing Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, as well as Rural Water Supply and Women & Child Welfare, while Jupally Krishna Rao manages Prohibition & Excise, Tour i sm, Cul tur e and Archaeology. A senior leader, speaking to TNIE, stressed the importance of ensuring that senior MLAs are not relegated to holding insignificant portfolios.
“It may be acceptable to assign lower-profile portfolios to first-time MLAs, but the party cannot afford to marginalise senior leaders.There is also a need to decentralise power as it cannot be concentrated in one region,” the leader said.
It may be mentioned here that the Congress high command had summoned top leaders from the state, including Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy and TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud, along with AICC Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan to the AICC headquarters on Monday and scrutinised the list of aspirants for the six vacant Cabinet berths.