Telangana Cabinet Ministers List: Uttam Gets Home, Seethakka Tribal Welfare Portfolios

Hyderabad: Revanth Reddy – Kodangal MLA – on Thursday took oath as the first Congress chief minister of Telangana. The swearing-in ceremony held at LB stadium in the city was attended by Gandhi family including Sonia Gandhi and party’s national president Mallikarjun Kharge.

Along with Revanth Reddy, 11 newly elected MLAs including two women legislators also took the oath office and secrecy as ministers in the new State Cabinet of Telangana. The State Cabinet is a mix of elected representatives of different backgrounds. 

Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka – Deputy Chief Minister 

At the ceremony, three-time MLA Bhatti Vikramarka was sworn-in as Deputy Chief Minister of Telangana. The prominent Dalit leader represents Mala caste (SC) in the State cabinet. The Malas account for 18 percent of Telangana’s population. Earlier this year, Bhatti Vikramarka embarked on a state-wide ‘People’s March’ and this padayatra has reportedly contributed to the resurgence of Congress in the recent Telangana assembly elections. He represents Madhira (SC) constituency. 

Uttam Kumar Reddy – Home Minister 

Uttam Kumar Reddy served as the president of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) long before he was replaced by Revanth Reddy. The 61-year-old Congressman is a seven-time MLA and he was also elected as an MP from Nalgonda parliamentary seat in the 2019 elections. He was one of the frontrunners for the chief minister’s post. He has served as a minister for Housing in the former chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh Kiran Kumar Reddy’s cabinet. 

తెలంగాణ రాష్ట్ర మంత్రిగా ప్రమాణ స్వీకారం చేసిన శ్రీ ఎన్. ఉత్తమ్ కుమార్ రెడ్డి గారు. pic.twitter.com/BKkPpMUqL7

— Telangana Congress (@INCTelangana) December 7, 2023

Duddilla Sridhar Babu – Finance Minister

Manthani MLA D Sridhar Babu has been picked as the new Finance Minister of Telangana under the Congress government. He is the only prominent leader from the Brahmin community. Babu has held several key positions earlier such as AICC secretary, minister for higher education and NRI affairs, and minister of civil supplies in the undivided Andhra Pradesh government. 

Damodar Raja Narasimha – Health Minister

Another Dalit face in Congress, Damodar Raja Narasimha, has been given the charge of health ministry. He is a former Deputy Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh. He has contested from Andole assembly segment nine times but won only four times. It is said the Congress has come to power every time he secured the Andole seat in assembly elections. 

Konda Surekha – Women and Child Welfare Minister 

Konda Surekha began her political journey in 1995 when she was elected to Mandal Parishad. She successfully contested the MLA elections from Shayampet in 1999. Throughout her career, she held several significant positions. She was made a Minister for Women’s Development and Child Welfare, Disabled and Juvenile Welfare under YS Rajasekhar Reddy’s cabinet in undivided Andhra Pradesh. In 2012, she contested the bypolls for Parkal assembly segment as a YSRCP nominee. Two years later, she quit the YSRCP and joined TRS (now BRS) and was elected from Warangal-East assembly seat. However, in 2018, she switched loyalties to Congress. 
 
Komatireddy Venkat Reddy –  Municipal Ministry

Senior Congress leader Komatireddy Venkat Reddy is a five-time MLA from Nalgonda assembly seat. He has served as the Information Technology minister in the previous Dr Y S Rajashekara Reddy’s Cabinet. He has also held other portfolios like ministry for Information Technology, Sports, Youth, and Communications, ministry for Airports, Ports, and Natural Gas Industries.

Thummala Nageswara Rao – Roads and Buildings

Revanth Reddy government has entrusted Thummala Nageswara Rao with the Ministry of Roads and Buildings. He began his political journey with the TDP in 1982. Nageswara Rao is a three-time MLA from Sathupalli constituency. He won the Khammam seat in the 2014 assembly elections and joined the TRS (now BRS) in 2014. Interestingly, he served as a minister for Roads and Buildings in the KCR cabinet too. 

Dansari Anasuya aka Seethakka – Tribal Welfare Minister

It was a proud moment for Maoist-turned-lawyer, lawyer-turned-MLA and MLA-turned minister Seethakka when she was invited to take oath as the minister at the LB stadium in the presence of thousands of people. The 52-year-old was re-elected from Mulug constituency, reserved for Scheduled Tribes. Hailing from the Koya tribe, Seethakka had joined Maoist movement at an early age and was heading an armed squad active in the same tribal belt.

Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy – Irrigation Minister

Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy joined the Congress from BRS ahead of Telangana assembly elections. The crossover of Ponguleti proved to be a shot in the arm of Congress which was planning to sweep elections in the state. He was elected as MP from the Khammam seat on a YSRCP ticket in the 2014 elections. Later, he joined the TRS (now BRS) in 2016. However, the KCR’s party denied him the ticket to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Ahead of Telangana elections, he was suspended from the BRS for anti-party activities. 

తెలంగాణ రాష్ట్ర మంత్రిగా ప్రమాణ స్వీకారం చేసిన శ్రీ పొంగులేటి శ్రీనివాసరెడ్డి గారు. pic.twitter.com/Xaaby95kay

— Telangana Congress (@INCTelangana) December 7, 2023

Jupally Krishna Rao — Civil Supplies Minister

Jupally Krishna Rao is another leader who quit the BRS and joined Congress before the state elections. He has served in the cabinets of two former chief ministers — YS Rajasekhar Reddy and Kiran Reddy in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. He won the Kollapur seat by defeating the social media sensation and independent candidate Karne Sirisha aka Barrelakka in the recent elections.

Ponnam Prabhakar – BC Welfare Minister

Ponnam Prabhakar is a working president of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee, He won the Husnabad seat and secured over 1 lakh votes in the recent assembly elections. He has played a significant role in the Telangana movement as a Congress MP.  

Also Read: Why Did Chandrababu Naidu Skip Revanth’s Swearing-in Ceremony?