CM’s Delhi visit: Cabinet expansion, new PCC state exec top agenda

Hyderabad: The State cabinet expansion and formation of new PCC State Executive is on the cards, as the Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and new PCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud fly to Delhi on Wednesday evening. They will be holding a meeting with party top brass including AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, besides general secretary K C Venugopal on Thursday.

According to sources, following AICC choosing Mahesh Kumar as new PCC president, one of the close confidantes of the CM, the latter is aiming to leave his mark in the finalising the key office bearers of party. Revanth Reddy who already influenced the decision making on choosing his successor as PCC chief is also pushing the finalisation of the candidates who will become part of the next executive and political affairs committee, besides other key positions like vice president, general secretaries and secretaries. His persistence in selecting his candidate of his choice is believed to have delayed the finalising the candidature of Mahesh Kumar, almost four months after the Lok Sabha polls.

It may be mentioned here that it took almost a year and half for constituting various committees after Revanth Reddy took charge as PCC chief in 2021. As the party had lost the Munugode bypoll in the year 2022, it is said that the men of his choice were barely accommodated in the executive and old guard within the party sometimes created hurdles. Hence, this time, most of the party functionaries will be of his choice and close confidantes at key positions like party working presidents and also DCC presidents. The executive and political affairs committee are likely to have around 40 and 20 members each. While vice presidents, general secretaries and secretaries would be more than 200.

Meanwhile, over the proposed cabinet expansion, the names are likely to be finalised. The ruling Congress party is expected to induct 6 Ministers and possible reshuffling of a couple of existing Ministers. The issue continues to get dragged since July. Given the socio-political equations, the CM is likely to induct two BCs, 2 OCs, 1 ST and one from Minority community. However, there are more than a dozen candidates who continue to lobby for the posts.