Did Telangana CM A. Revanth Reddy Expand His Cabinet with Three New Ministers?

Hyderabad, June 8 (NationPress) Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy made a significant move on Sunday by expanding his Cabinet, welcoming three new ministers.

Governor Jishnu Dev Varma officiated the swearing-in ceremony at Raj Bhavan, where G. Vivek Venkataswamy, Adluri Laxman Kumar, and Vakiti Srihari took their oaths. Vivek opted for English, while his colleagues chose Telugu for their oaths.

In attendance were Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, other Cabinet members, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Mahesh Kumar Goud, and senior officials.

This marks the inaugural expansion of the Cabinet, originally formed on December 7, 2023, with the swearing-in of 11 ministers and the Chief Minister.

The long-awaited expansion followed the All India Congress Committee (AICC) approval of the three ministers' names.

While there are still vacant positions in the Cabinet, party leadership has chosen to leave three posts unfilled. The maximum ministerial count allowed for the state is 18, including the Chief Minister.

Vivek Venkataswamy, a former MP and son of previous Union Minister G. Venkataswamy, along with Government Whip Adluri Laxman, represent the Scheduled Castes, while Srihari hails from the Backward Classes. Ramachandru Naik, a tribal MLA, is also noted.

Venkataswamy, an industrialist, transitioned from BJP to Congress shortly before the 2023 Assembly elections. He was elected to Parliament in 2009 from the Peddapalli constituency and later joined TRS (now BRS) to advocate for Telangana's statehood.

After the Telangana Bill's passage in 2014, he returned to Congress, only to switch back to TRS in 2016. Following his resignation as advisor to the Telangana government in 2019 and his exit from the ruling party due to a denied ticket for the Peddapalli Lok Sabha seat, he joined BJP. In November 2023, he rejoined Congress.

Recently, he was elected to the Assembly from the Chennur constituency in Mancherial district, defeating the incumbent MLA Balka Suman of BRS.

Adluri Laxman Kumar is a seasoned Congress leader and a first-time MLA from Dharmapuri in Jagitial district.

Srihari, who began as a Youth Congress leader, has been associated with Congress for over thirty years. He secured a seat in the Assembly from the Makthal constituency in Narayanpet district.

Additionally, the Chief Minister announced that Ramachandra Naik will serve as Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, representing the Dornakal constituency in Mahabubabad district.