Laxman Kumar Surprises as New Telangana Cabinet Minister
8 Jun 2025 6:44 PM IST8 Jun 2025 6:44 PM IST
Congress rewards Dharmapuri MLA’s decades-long loyalty with ministerial berth, edging out front-runner Satyanarayana.
Government Chief Whip and Dharmapuri MLA Adluri Laxman Kumar of Jagtial district takes oath as a minister at Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad on Sunday.
Government Chief Whip and Dharmapuri MLA Adluri Laxman Kumar from Jagtial district emerged as a surprise choice for a Cabinet minister post during the second phase of the Congress government's expansion in Telangana. Initially, during the Cabinet expansion, the high command had considered Manakondur MLA Dr Kavvampalli Satyanarayan from Karimnagar district, but later, the post was given to Laxman Kumar.
Since yesterday, rumours were circulating that Satyanarayana was going to get the post and Congress workers in the constituency were gearing up to celebrate the occasion. However, in the last minute, he lost the race.
It is to be noted here that four days ago, the Telangana Madiga Community MLAs from the Congress visited Delhi and met with the AICC president Mallikurjan Kharge and general secretary K.V. Venugopal. They sought a ministerial post for their community and the Delhi High Command decided to allocate the post to Laxman Kumar from Dharmapuri Assembly constituency.
Laxman Kumar began his political journey with the Congress in 1982 as a student union leader. He served as NSUI president of Godavarikhani Junior College (1982–1985), NSUI Karimnagar district general secretary (1986–1994), and Andhra Pradesh Youth Congress general secretary (1996–2001). In 2006, he successfully contested and won the ZPTC seat from the Dharmaram (SC) reserved constituency.
Laxman Kumar contested the 1999 Assembly elections from the Medaram constituency but was unsuccessful. He later served as the Karimnagar ZP chairman from 2010 to 2012. He also contested from the Dharmapuri constituency in the 2009 Assembly elections and the 2010 by-election, but lost both times.
From 2013 to 2014, Laxman Kumar served as the chairman of the SC Corporation in the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh. Following the formation of Telangana, he contested as the MLA candidate from the Dharmapuri Assembly constituency in both the 2014 and 2018 elections. In the 2023 Assembly elections, Laxman Kumar secured a massive victory over former minister Koppula Eshwar, marking his first entry into the Assembly as an MLA. He was subsequently appointed as the Government Chief Whip on December 15, 2023.
Laxman Kumar who has been with the Congress right from the beginning of his political career, being appointed as a minister is widely seen as a recognition of his unwavering loyalty to the party. Despite receiving offers from other parties over the years, he chose to remain with the Congress even during its most challenging times.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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