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Telangana Congress Mulls Strategy to Reshape Cabinet, Strengthen Party

Riha Pradhan
2026-08-07

Hyderabad: Amid speculation over an impending cabinet expansion and reports of continuing differences among some ministers, the Telangana Congress leadership is reportedly considering an organisational strategy aimed at strengthening its influence over the State government. According to senior Congress leaders, the State leadership has urged the party high command to appoint two senior Telangana ministers as All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charges for other States. The AICC routinely appoints senior leaders to coordinate between the central leadership and State units, but the proposal is also being viewed as a move to reshape the Telangana cabinet. If the proposal receives approval, the appointment of two cabinet ministers as AICC in-charges would create two vacancies in the State cabinet. These positions could subsequently be filled with MLAs or MLCs preferred by the current State leadership, while the remaining cabinet vacancies may be filled based on the AICC's recommendations. Party sources said the move could also help address internal differences within the government. The two ministers likely to be assigned organisational responsibilities are reportedly among the senior leaders who have had differences with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy. According to party insiders, they could be persuaded to accept the AICC roles on the grounds that they carry greater organisational importance and national responsibilities than cabinet positions. The reported proposal comes at a time when discontent within the cabinet has become increasingly visible, with some ministers expressing concern over alleged interference in the functioning of their departments. Last year, Forest Minister Konda Surekha's daughter, Konda Sushmitha, accused Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and other senior Congress leaders of targeting her family after police conducted a raid at their residence to arrest the minister's former Officer on Special Duty (OSD), N. Sumanth, in connection with alleged extortion and corruption cases. Konda Surekha had also objected to the alleged interference of Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy in matters related to the Samakka Saralamma Jathara tenders. More recently, internal differences surfaced after Tungaturthy MLA Mandula Samuel publicly criticised Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy. Samuel alleged that the minister ignored his request to sanction a road project and visited his constituency without informing him. Although party leaders publicly downplayed the episode, leaders at Gandhi Bhavan reportedly believe it reflects deeper political and organisational differences within the ruling party. In an effort to improve coordination, the AICC constituted a coordination committee in March this year to strengthen communication between the Telangana Congress organisation and the State government after complaints of poor coordination among ministers, MLAs, party workers and legislators at the grassroots level. Reports had suggested that the committee's formation widened the gap between the party organisation and the State government. However, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Mahesh Kumar Goud dismissed such claims, describing them as baseless speculation. The Congress leadership has not made any official announcement regarding the reported proposal or the timing of a cabinet expansion. However, discussions within the party have intensified as it seeks to address internal challenges while strengthening the government's organisational structure.