During 2018 and 2023 assembly elections, one of the key charges made by the Congress party against the then ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) was its alleged promotion of dynastic politics. This criticism stemmed from the fact that the then chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KC) had appointed both his son, KT Rama Rao and nephew, Harish Rao as ministers, Additionally, his daughter, K. Kavitha was a sitting MP in 2018 and an MLC in 2023. Congress senior leader Rahul Gandhi often highlighted the “family rule” in his election campaigns in Telangana.
Now, with the Congress in power in Telangana, similar murmurs are surfacing— this time from within. Ahead of cabinet expansion, a section of party is raising concerns over potential inductions that could reflect dynastic rule. The Congress government currently has 12 cabinet ministers including Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, and there is room to appoint six more.
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The state Congress leaders and the AICC have been deliberating on the fresh faces that could be inducted into the cabinet.
For the past few days, lobbying in Delhi and Hyderabad has intensified with various factions pushing their candidates. However, discontent is growing over names that are seen as having strong backing from either the local leadership or AICC.
A strong contender, G. Vivek is a legislator from Chennur constituency. He owns a regional news channel and a newspaper and is seen by some as resourceful. However, his elder brother, Vinod is already an MLA and his son, Vamsi Krishna, is an MP— making three members of a family in the roles of public representatives. Party insiders argue that his inclusion in the cabinet would be a textbook example of the very dynastic politics that the Congress party opposed in the state.
Similar concerns are being raised for another MLA, Komatreddy Rajagopal Reddy. While he is an MLA, his brother, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, is an MLA and a minister handling the key roads and buildings and cinematography portfolios. Some Congress leaders complain that any elevation would mean they would lose out the moral right to criticise BRS in future in this particular aspect. There is also a buzz that a senior minister is trying for a plum post for his close family member, further feeling internal criticism. Amidst this, CM Reddy, Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka and few other cabinet ministers are in Delhi to join a protest of BC organisation demanding increase in BC reservation in the state to 42 per cent, which would require parliamentary approval. With the state leadership already in Delhi, the list of new ministers is likely to be finalised tonight or early tomorrow.
