Telangana cabinet to expand on January 18

Speculation over Cabinet expansion and the new Speaker and whether TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao would get a berth gained ground after the government said the first session of the new Assembly would start on January 17. TRS are of the view that Mr Rama Rao will be inducted to avoid unnecessary speculation but others said withdrawal of his officer on special duty, who was shifted to the Chief Minister, was an indication that he may not get a Cabinet berth and would instead offer his services during the Lok Sabha polls.

Opinions differed on whether Mr Rama Rao would be accommodated in the Cabinet in the first phase. Some senior leaders feel he may not be inducted into the Cabinet till completion of the Lok Sabha elections. The party chief might instead entrust him with the responsibility of strengthening the party to win 16 Lok Sabha seats. But others feel Mr Rama Rao will surely be inducted as he may not have command over official machinery by being just the party’s working president.

The party cadres are also expecting that the party chief will accommodate a woman MLA in the Cabinet this time.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is keeping cards close to his his chest, but party leaders expect the Cabinet expansion to take place as early as on January 18, soon after election of the Speaker. They are expecting the Cabinet on the evening of the Friday after Sankranti.

Sources close to the party chief said he was actively considering the names of former minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy and former deputy speaker Padma Devender Reddy for Speaker. Sources said Mr Srinivasa Reddy’s chances seemed brighter. 

They said the Chief Minister had initially wanted former finance minister Etala Rajendar to be the Speaker, but had now decided to take him in the Cabinet. Sources said Mr Rao was likely to induct eight ministers. 

Strong contenders include, apart from Mr Rajendar, the former ministers T. Srinivasa Yadav, T. Padma Rao, Dr C. Laxma Reddy, A. Indrakaran Reddy and Kadiam Srihari and newcomers Vinay Bhaskar, Niranjan Reddy,  Errabelli Dayakar Rao  Balka Suman, Koppula Eswar and Redya Naik Party leaders seem divided on the issue of accommodating T. Harish Rao in the first expansion. 

Regarding the question of model code of conduct, an official in the Chief Minister’s Office said it did not cover the Assembly and Cabinet expansion.