HYDERABAD: Talk of a Cabinet expansion — whether at state level or in Delhi — usually sets off the same familiar exercise in political circles: who is in, who is out, who has Delhi backing, and who merely thinks they do.
But this time, conversations around a possible Union Cabinet reshuffle have acquired an additional layer in Telangana BJP circles — the POCSO case involving Bandi Sai Bhageerath, son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar.
These days, discussions within the BJP and media circles do not stop with the usual guessing game over Cabinet berths. They inevitably circle back to one question: what happens to Sanjay? And from that one question, several political scenarios have begun taking shape.
One line of discussion is straightforward enough. If, as expected, Prime Minister Narendra Modi goes ahead with a Cabinet expansion in the coming weeks, Telangana is expected to get at least one Minister of State berth, possibly even two. Alongside that, there is also speculation that some leaders currently in the Union Cabinet could be shifted to organisational responsibilities.
In those calculations, Mahbubnagar MP D K Aruna, Malkajgiri MP Eatala Rajender and Nizamabad MP Dharmapuri Arvind are among the names being discussed most actively for MoS positions. Rajya Sabha member K Laxman too is said to be lobbying strongly for a berth.
As for Union minister G Kishan Reddy, party leaders do not expect him to be dropped altogether. The more common assessment is that there could be a reshuffle of portfolios rather than a complete exit.
But the real political intrigue lies elsewhere.
The Bhageerath controversy has forced the Telangana BJP into an uncomfortable internal conversation: whether the leadership can politically afford to retain Sanjay in the Union Cabinet if the issue continues to gather attention, or whether replacing him quietly before an expansion would be the safer option.
Aruna, Arvind, Eatala in the mix for Cabinet berths
Within the party, there are differing assessments. One section believes that if the central leadership eventually decides against continuing with Sanjay in the Cabinet, it may prefer a resignation before the reshuffle rather than the optics of a formal removal.
Another group argues the opposite — that dropping him abruptly could hand the Congress and the BRS a ready-made political weapon at a time when both parties are already attacking the BJP aggressively over the issue.
That is where the speculation becomes more layered. Every possible scenario now automatically affects the calculations of aspirants waiting in line.
If Sanjay stays, the number of available openings narrows. If he exits, the social and political equations change immediately.
Regional representation
According to party insiders, the BJP leadership is paying close attention not just to regional representation but also to social messaging while finalising Cabinet appointments. There is strong talk within the party that Modi wants greater representation for women in the Union Cabinet as part of a broader political message ahead of future elections.
That has strengthened the case for Aruna. Apart from her position as BJP national vice-president and her perceived proximity to the central leadership, party leaders feel her elevation would help the BJP sharpen its outreach among women voters.
At the same time, the names of Arvind and Eatala continue to surface repeatedly in internal discussions because of caste and regional considerations. Leaders within the party say that if Sanjay were to exit the Cabinet, the BJP may look at another backward class leader from Telangana to maintain internal social balance.
Laxman’s name, meanwhile, continues to figure prominently in Delhi discussions. As national president of the BJP OBC Morcha, he is believed to be pressing his case strongly before the leadership. Interestingly, Sanjay, Arvind and Laxman all belong to the Munnuru Kapu community, making the equations even more politically delicate.
According to party insiders, Laxman has also pointed out to the leadership that several of his contemporaries in the party have already gone on to become Governors, Union ministers or state-level ministers, while he is still waiting for a major assignment.
Meanwhile, Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao is learnt to have briefed the central leadership on the political impact of the Bhageerath case and the mood within the state unit.
With talk of a Cabinet expansion gathering pace, the Telangana BJP now faces two parallel developments — the race for
ministerial berths and the political handling of a controversy linked to the family of a MoS. In the end, party leaders admit privately, the reshuffle may not just decide who enters the Cabinet. It could also redraw equations within the Telangana BJP itself.