Cong MLAs From Madiga Community Seek Due Share In Telangana Cabinet Expansion
Congress MLAs from the Madiga community have urged the party high command to ensure adequate representation for their community in the upcoming Cabinet expansion, expected to take place soon.
Hyderabad:Congress MLAs from the Madiga community have urged the party high command to ensure adequate representation for their community in the upcoming Cabinet expansion, expected to take place soon. A meeting was held by a few Madiga community MLAs here on Tuesday, where they discussed their concerns and the future course of action to press for their demands.
Among those present were Adluri Laxman Kumar from Dharmapuri, Kavvampally Satyanarayana from Manakondur and Mandula Samel from Thungathurthi. Two other MLAs, Kale Yadaiah from Chevella and Vemula Veeresham from Nakrekal, joined the meeting over a teleconference.
The MLAs reportedly plan to visit Delhi in a day or two to submit a representation to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, urging the party leadership to give priority to the Madiga community when finalising the Cabinet expansion.
Party sources said one of the key points of discussion during the meeting was the current state of representation for the Madiga community in the cabinet. They felt while the community was represented by health minister Damodar Rajnarasimha, the Mala community has a more prominent presence in the cabinet, with Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka serving as Deputy Chief Minister.
Speculation is rife that the party high command is considering bringing Gaddam Vivek, from the Mala community, into the Cabinet. Against this backdrop, Madiga community MLAs have ramped up their efforts to ensure that two more MLAs from the community are inducted into the Cabinet. Their primary argument is that the Madiga community, with a population of 32.33 lakh, outnumbers the Mala community with 15.27 lakh population, but has been inadequately represented.
The MLAs have also reached out to AICC Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan and requested an appointment to meet her in person. They are expected to present their concerns to Natarajan before the May 30 meeting in Delhi, where Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, TPCC president B. Mahesh Kumar Goud and other senior party leaders will discuss the pending TPCC revamp and cabinet expansion.
The Congress is facing a tough challenge in deciding which candidates will be inducted into the six vacant positions in the Cabinet. Over a dozen strong contenders from various castes and communities are vying for the positions, making the selection process a complex one for the party leadership. As it stands, the Cabinet has 12 members, with six vacancies left unfilled since December 2023, when Congress came to power in Telangana.
With the total permissible Cabinet strength set at 18, Congress high command is reportedly inclined to fill five of the six vacancies in the upcoming expansion. However, the Madiga community MLAs are determined to make their voices heard and ensure that their community receives its due share of representation.
