No cabinet expansion in near future: CM Revanth

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy clarifies no Cabinet expansion soon, focusing on caste census and party reconstitution.

Putting to rest speculation on impending Cabinet expansion Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Friday made it clear that there will be no expansion in near future.

Mr. Reddy, who along Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Minister for Irrigation N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, TPCC chief Mahesh Kumar Goud and others were in New Delhi to meet party high commmand, clarified that any decision on the cabinet expansion would be taken by the party’s central leadership. “I have not recommended any name,” he informally told reporters in New Delhi.

Chief Minister said that the caste census was done taken into consideration all issues. He noted that with the caste census, a permanent solution has been found for reservation for backwards among Muslims. He said the percentage of BC population has gone up by 5% and after seeing the numbers BJP MLA Payal Shanker had openly acknowledged the same in the Assembly.

The Congress party is preparing to hold two massive meetings in Suryapet and Gajwel to highlight the success of the caste census and SC sub-categorisation. The exercise on the much awaited reconstitution of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) is complete. “There will be an announcement in next two days,” Mr. Reddy said. He always respected the aspirations of the party leaders and cadres, he added.

“We have no intention of arresting Opposition leaders and sending them to jail,” he said and added that the government was not indulging in witch hunting and law would take its own course. “I only do my work and there is no need to react to criticism,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Revanth Reddy, Mr. Bhatti Vikramarka, Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy and Mr. Mahesh Kumar Goud met AICC general secretary K. C. Venugopal separately and discussed the reconstitution of the PCC and probable names for the cabinet expansion.

On Thursday night, all the four along with AICC in charge Deepa Dasmunshi had a detailed meeting on the socio economic survey outcome and the SC sub-categorisation report submitted by the One Man Commission. The party’s central leadership is said to have expressed satisfaction at the significant achievement and wanted the party men to publicise it among the people in a big way.