Telangana Cabinet meeting shifted to May 23, to be held at Yadagirigutta

Hyderabad: The Telangana Cabinet meeting scheduled for May 21 has been postponed to May 23, with Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy choosing Yadagirigutta in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district as the venue, which is a departure from the customary practice of holding such meetings at the Dr BR Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat in Hyderabad.

The rescheduling was necessitated by the “Antyah Pushkaralu” at the Saraswathi temple in Basara, on the banks of the Godavari, which falls on the same day as the original date. Most ministers had already been assigned to oversee the religious event to ensure that the large number of devotees expected from across the state face no difficulties, making it impractical to hold the Cabinet meeting simultaneously.

By choosing Yadagirigutta, Revanth Reddy is also said to be sending a signal that Cabinet meetings need not be confined to Hyderabad and can be held near places of spiritual and cultural significance. The Chief Minister is separately scheduled to inaugurate a Vedic school at Yadagirigutta on the same day. Announcements on improving facilities for temple devotees are expected after the meeting.

The Yadagirigutta temple holds deep sentiment for Telangana, having been reconstructed at considerable public expense during the tenure of former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. The redevelopment spurred a real estate boom along the stretch from Uppal to Bhuvanagiri.

Adding to the political interest around the May 23 meeting are persistent speculations that the long-awaited cabinet expansion, with several aspirants waiting in the wings, could finally be announced at Yadagirigutta.