Naidu gets down to Cabinet reshuffle

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, NOV. 23. The Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, got down to the task of Cabinet reconstitution by a series of interface with key aides, party seniors and aspirants on Friday. He cancelled routine programmes to be able to concentrate on the job and is quite unlikely to make the scheduled trip to Delhi on Sunday.

NTR Bhavan was abuzz with activity as a number of Telugu Desam MLAs either met the Chief Minister or managed to catch his eye during his visit to the party office twice. Mr. Chandrababu Naidu sent clear signals that while MLAs could meet him individually to plead their case, group lobbying or campaigning was not welcome. ``It is against the philosophy of the party,'' he told leaders. The size of the restructured Cabinet may remain at 36 with a possible addition of one or two more members. The 4-day notice for the reshuffle, which has surprised party circles, is to enable Mr. Naidu to find the best talent and go for an efficient, performance-oriented and balanced team capable of giving good governance.

``I have actually thought of going in for the reshuffle during Dasara itself, but then there were some problems. I am taking time so that the new team can satisfy people and remove scope for criticism that this is only an exercise in sharing the spoils of power,'' he said in an informal chat with reporters who met him at NTR Bhavan. Nobody in the Cabinet or the party had any idea about a reshuffle until the Chief Minister announced it late on Thursday evening. ``I decided only last evening.'' The present exercise is in line with his policy of carrying out mid-term appraisal of his team and making corrections or improvements.

``This is not going to be an election Cabinet. There will be another reshuffle,'' he said in reply to a question. He declined to go into details, saying ``I do not want to foreclose my options.''

Mr. Naidu said merit, efficiency and performance were the criteria for selection, but he had to do a delicate exercise of reconciling conflicting claims and strike a balance in terms of district, region, caste and other factors.

Those who made it to the Cabinet were not necessarily the `only best people.' All of them could not be accommodated eventhough they were otherwise deserving.

On the tasks ahead, he said the next two or three years would be crucial as the Government would have to show results. Development should be sustained at the same level.

The Chief Minister said in order to afford greater exposure for MLAs to development trends worldwide, study tour of China. Malaysia, Singapore and other Asian countries would be arranged.

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Section  : Southern States
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