Telangana cabinet to have KTR stamp

Hyderabad: The new Cabinet of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, will likely have the stamp of TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao.

According to sources, the Chief Minister may give preference to younger men who are close to K.T. Rama Rao and send the seniors to the Lok Sabha.

In this process, former minister and Siddipet MLA T. Harish Rao, the Chief Minister’s nephew, may not get a cabinet berth, say sources in the TRS. Instead, he may be asked to contest the Lok Sabha elections.

One of the criticisms from opponents in the recent election campaign was that KCR perpetuated family rule. To avoid this criticism, his son and nephew may be kept out of the cabinet.

K.T. Rama Rao was appointed TRS working president and so will concentrate on party affairs.

After the general election next year, Mr. Rama Rao may be made Chief Minister as Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao wants to play a larger role in national politics. If Mr. Harish Rao is given a Lok Sabha constituency, he will be able to assist Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao in national politics.

All this is as yet speculation. A TRS senior leader said that they are not able to read the mind of Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao about Cabinet formation.

The total number of cabinet ministers should not exceed 18, including the chief minister, given the total strength of MLAs in the Telangana Assembly. Mr Mahmood Ali has been taken into the cabinet, so now 16 ministers can be inducted into the cabinet.

In the first phase of cabinet formation, Mr Chand-rasekhar Rao may take eight ministers, giving preference to sitting loyalists. Ms. Vimala Prashant Reddy from Nizamabad district, Mr S. Niranjan Reddy from Mahbubnagar district and MLC Palla Rajeswar Reddy are most likely to be chosen. Mr Etela Rajendar, Mr Jogu Ramanna, Mr G. Jagadish Reddy, Mr A. Indrakaran Reddy, all in the previous Cabinet, are also in the list of probable. Former home minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy and former deputy chief minister Kadiyam Srihari will likely be sent to Parliament.  

For the post of Assembly Speaker, the probable names are former minister Pocharam Srinivasa Reddy, former deputy speaker Padma Devendar Reddy and Mr Etala Rajendar.

Four sitting members of the Cabinet were defeated in these elections. Tribal welfare minister Chandu-lal was defeated and his place may be taken by former minister D.S. Redyanaik or first-time MLA Rekha Naik from the Scheduled Tribe community. If Rekha Naik is inducted, it will cover the ST quota and also the women's quota. Errabelli Dayakar Rao, Puvvada Ajay Kumar, and Danam Nagendar are also named making the rounds in TRS circles.