HYDERABAD: Having completed half of its five-year tenure, the Revanth Reddy government appears headed for its biggest shake-up since coming to power in December 2023. With the Congress high command said to be weighing changes in both the Cabinet and the party organisation, ministers, MLAs and aspirants have begun jockeying for position, turning Hyderabad and New Delhi into hubs of intense political activity.
According to sources in the ruling party, the proposed exercise is expected to go beyond a routine Cabinet expansion. The Congress leadership is reportedly considering a broader overhaul that could involve dropping some ministers, inducting fresh faces, redistributing key portfolios and reorganising the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC).
Party insiders say two or three ministers could be shown the door as part of the exercise. However, the move is not being viewed as a demotion. Those relieved of Cabinet responsibilities may instead be assigned organisational roles in the All India Congress Committee (AICC), with some potentially being made in-charge of states such as Gujarat, Goa and Uttar Pradesh, which are scheduled to go to the polls next year.
The possibility of changes in the state party unit is also generating considerable discussion. One of the names being widely talked about is TPCC president and MLC B Mahesh Kumar Goud, who is said to be under consideration for a Cabinet berth. His induction would also address the absence of Cabinet representation from Nizamabad district.
If Mahesh moves into the Cabinet, party leaders believe a change at the helm of the TPCC could follow. Minister Ponnam Prabhakar’s name is doing the rounds as a possible successor. A long-time Congress leader who rose through the NSUI ranks and later represented Karimnagar in Parliament, Prabhakar is seen as someone with strong organisational credentials.
The speculation has triggered a rush to New Delhi.
Several leaders aspiring for Cabinet berths or key party positions have been making frequent visits to the national capital and meeting senior Congress leaders. Among the names being discussed are Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar, Munugode MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy and Parigi MLA T Rammohan Reddy.
Sources indicated that the reshuffle, along with organisational appointments, could be announced in the third or fourth week of this month.
Alongside personnel changes, the leadership is also believed to be examining a redistribution of important portfolios. Finance and revenue are among the departments being discussed in internal deliberations, with senior leaders who previously served as ministers in undivided Andhra Pradesh said to be in contention for greater responsibilities.
Rammohan Reddy is also being mentioned as a possible choice for the post of chief whip in the Assembly.
The ripple effects of a Mahesh Kumar induction could extend further. Party leaders say that if Prabhakar is moved to the TPCC chief’s post, it may create an opening in the Cabinet for Vemulawada MLA and whip Aadi Srinivas, who belongs to the Munnuru Kapu community.
Leaders troop to Delhi to press their case
Another subject of intense speculation is the Assembly Speaker’s post. According to sources, discussions are underway on whether a senior minister — from the same caste as Gaddam Prasad — could be made Speaker, potentially paving the way for further adjustments within the Cabinet.
The expected exercise is also likely to cover appointments to corporations and public sector bodies. Aspirants from Warangal, Rangareddy and Nalgonda districts are said to be under consideration for chairperson posts in key corporations, while four former MLAs may also be accommodated.
With every possible vacancy setting off a chain reaction elsewhere, the atmosphere within the ruling party has become increasingly charged. Ministers are lobbying to retain their positions or secure influential portfolios, while aspirants are reminding the leadership of assurances made during the Assembly election campaign.
Several ministers recently met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge during his visit to Hyderabad, while others have travelled to Delhi to make their case. Aspirants have also been seeking meetings with Rahul Gandhi as the party weighs what could be its most consequential political exercise since coming to power in Telangana.