Congress names Gaddam Prasad Kumar as Telangana Assembly Speaker

HYDERABAD; In a strategic move to woo the backward classes, the Telangana Congress, on December 7, 2023, appointed Gaddam Prasad Kumar as the Speaker of the Telangana Legislative Assembly. The soft-spoken former Minister, hailing from the Vikarabad SC constituency, entered the Assembly in combined Andhra Pradesh on a Congress ticket in 2009.

His political journey continued as he became the Minister for Handlooms and Textiles in the Kiran Kumar Reddy cabinet from 2012 to 2014. Despite defeats in the 2014 and 2018 Assembly elections, Prasad Kumar made a comeback in the recently concluded State elections by defeating BRS MLA Dr Methuku Anand by a margin of 12,893 votes.

The appointment as Speaker marks a significant move for Congress, by nominating a Dalit representation in a key role within the State Government.