Signs of strain have emerged within the Telangana Congress government, with Health Minister C. Damodara Raja Narasimha reportedly expressing displeasure over recent bureaucratic reshuffles carried out without his consultation.
The alleged friction centers on the transfer of key officials in the Health and Family Welfare Department, reportedly initiated by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s office.
Party insiders suggest that Narasimha, a senior Congress leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh, was caught off guard by the transfers—particularly those impacting flagship programs such as the Aarogyasri scheme and ongoing hospital infrastructure upgrades.
The developments have triggered speculation that all is not well within the cabinet of Revanth Reddy.
Narasimha, who currently oversees the Health, Family Welfare, Science, and Technology portfolios, is a veteran Congress leader and a prominent representative of the Dalit-Madiga community. His inclusion in Revanth’s cabinet in December 2023 was widely seen as a strategic move to bolster the party’s social coalition. However, insiders suggest that the latest developments have strained an already delicate working relationship.
Recently, Revanth Reddy and Damodara Raja Narasimha attended AICC meeting in Delhi. Raja Narasimha refused to talk about the outcome and asked media men to talk to Revanth Reddy for sound bites. But CM Revanth Reddy, too, avoided the media meet, prompting confirmation about gap between him and the minister.