Hyderabad: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to address a massive public meeting in the city on Sunday, speculation within the Telangana BJP is intensifying over a potential reshuffle of the Union cabinet, which may see increased representation of women.
Women's Reservation and Cabinet Expansion
According to well-placed sources, the possibility of implementing 33% reservation for women could pave the way for several women Members of Parliament to be included in the cabinet. “This cabinet reshuffle is expected alongside a party reorganisation, which could lead to several changes within the party. Telangana is also likely to get an additional cabinet berth, as the state has the highest number of BJP MPs after Karnataka, with eight seats in southern India,” a source said.
Potential Contenders
While no names have been officially confirmed, potential contenders such as DK Aruna from Telangana and D Purandeswari from Andhra Pradesh could be in the race if the 33% reservation is implemented. However, it remains unclear whether the women’s quota would apply to Telangana or whether a male MP from the state could be inducted instead.
At present, the Union cabinet has seven women ministers, including Nirmala Sitharaman, Annpurna Devi, Shobha Karandlaje, Raksha Khadse, Savitri Thakur, Nimuben Bambhaniya, and Anupriya Patel. Currently, Union mines minister G Kishan Reddy and Union minister of state for home affairs Bandi Sanjay are representing Telangana in the Union cabinet. Other BJP MPs from the state include Eatala Rajender, Konda Vishveswar Reddy, N Raghunandan Rao, D Arvind, A Ramesh, and Godam Nagesh. K Laxman is a Rajya Sabha member representing Uttar Pradesh.
Party Anticipation and Strategic Considerations
Party sources are tight-lipped about the possible combinations and possibilities, but anticipation within the party is high. “It is likely that Telangana could secure additional berths apart from the two ministries it currently holds,” sources said. They added that the party may consider not only women but also other combinations, keeping in view the developments within the party over the past few years.
“After the West Bengal election and the results in Assam, party leaders are hopeful that significant groundwork will be laid in Telangana to secure the BJP’s first victory in the next assembly elections. All these factors may be considered while deciding the cabinet berths,” a party source said.
