Hyderabad: At least four of the six new ministers inducted in the Telangana cabinet on Tuesday were ministers in either the Telugu Desam (TDP) or Congress governments in the past.
In a bid to make his cabinet more representative and balanced in terms of regional and social representation, chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) expanded his six-months-old cabinet.
However, women remain unrepresented in the first cabinet of Telangana state as, contrary to speculation, KCR did not bring in Konda Surekha.
State governor E.S.L. Narasimhan administered the oath of office to the new ministers in a simple ceremony at Raj Bhavan.
The chief ministers, two deputy chief ministers — Mahmoud Ali and K. Rajaih — Speaker Madhusudhana Chary, and Council Chairman Swamy Goud, other ministers, MLAs and MLCs attended the ceremony. There were scenes of celebrations in and outside Raj Bhavan as hundreds of supporters of new ministers gathered there shouting slogans and garlanding their leaders.
The new ministers are Tummala Nageshwara Rao, Talasani Srinvias Yadav, A. Chandulal (all ministers in erstwhile Telugu Desam governments) Jupally Krishna Rao (who served as a minister in Congress government), A. Indira Kiran Reddy (former Congress MP and legislator) and Ch Lakshma Reddy.
Another interesting feature of Tuesday’s swearing-in was the fact that T. Srinivas Reddy technically belongs to the Telugu Desam and he recently joined the TRS while continuing to be a TDP MLA. He represents Sanathnagar constituency in Hyderabad. TDP had termed it a violation of anti-defection law.
However soon after taking oath today, Srinivas Yadav announced his resignation from the state assembly.
“I have sent my resignation to the Assembly Speaker. I will seek re-election as a TRS candidate”, he said. “winning elections is not new for me. People will definitely elect me”.
Srinivas Yadav, who served as labour minister in the Chandrababu Naidu government, also announced his resignation from the primary membership of the TDP.
Tummala Nageshwara Rao, a senior TDP figure in Khammam district, had recently joined the TRS and he is not a member of either Assembly and legislative council. He was likely to be nominated to the legislative council.
He served as excise and road and buildings minister in the Chandrababu Naidu cabinet.
Chandulal, a scheduled tribal leader from Warangal district, served as a labour minister in the NTR cabinet.
A. Indira Kiran Reddy from Adilabad district comes from Congress background and was elected to the Lok Sabha twice and assembly thrice. In the last assembly elections he was elected on BSP ticket but later switched over to the TRS.
His induction was being seen as an attempt by KCR to woo the powerful Reddy community.
Mahbubnagar district, which was unrepresented in the state cabinet got two berths in the cabinet. Ch Lakshma Reddy and J Krishna Rao were inducted from the district. Krishna Rao was a minister in YSR cabinet.
It was also significant that the total number of ministers representing Greater Hyderabad has risen to four as the TRS is gearing itself up for the coming elections to the city Municipal Corporation.
Later the expanded cabinet met at the secretariat where the Chief Minister introduced the new ministers. Contrary to speculation, the chief minister did not change the portfolios of the old ministers. He was likely to hand over his additional portfolios to the new ministers.
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