Political factors behind A.P. reshuffle

By R. J. Rajendra Prasad

HYDERABAD, NOV. 26. The reconstitution of the Cabinet by the Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu was mainly dictated by the political consideration of strengthening the Telugu Desam Party in view of the good performance put up by the Congress and Telengana Rastra Samithi in the local body elections.

Mr. Naidu has preferred to take back seniors in the party who served as Ministers in the past dropping `new comers with clean image' who apparently failed to deliver the goods.

When Mr. Naidu inducted five newly elected women MLAs as Ministers in his Cabinet in 1999 and made Ms. Pratibha Bharathi the first woman Speaker, he cited this fact as proof of his commitment to give a bigger share of responsibility for women.

Now, he dropped three women Ministers, Dr. S. Aruna, Ms. Lakshmi Padmavathi and Ms. Pushpaleela, but did not induct any new woman.

The former Director of CBI, Mr. K. Vijayarama Rao, was also a first term MLA who was made Minister for Roads and Buildings, but he was shifted to Commercial Taxes now.

The commitment to infuse new blood has been diluted because eight of the new comers are former Ministers.

The Congress has criticised the exercise saying that the Chief Minister has inducted several ``anti-social elements'' this time.

It has criticised the induction of Dr. Kodela Sivaprasada Rao as a Minister now because he faced a CBI enquiry into an explosion in his house at Narasaraopet, a day before the 1999 general elections, obviously caused by bombs stored by somebody close to him.

Just three days before the Cabinet reconstitution, reports said that the CBI gave him a clean chit. The CBI is yet to file a chargesheet in the case.

The President of APCC, Mr. M. Sathyanarayana Rao, earlier cautioned the Chief Minister not to take back Dr. Sivaprasada Rao, saying that it would be comparable to Mr. George Fernandes' reinduction into the Union Cabinet.

The Chief Minister has described the reconstitution a `mid-term course correction' because the next general election is due only in September, 2004. The reconstitution would help the Government to function better, he said.

The TDP can have problems from its party bigwigs in Kurnool, Nellore and Ranga Reddy districts.

In Kurnool, Ms. Shoba Nagi Reddy was a serious aspirant, but a few days ago, the Transmission Corporation officials raided a cinema theatre owned by her family and said it was stealing power and a fine was slapped on her.

Her husband, Mr. Bhooma Nagi Reddy is an MP, and her father, Mr. S. V. Subba Reddy is another MLA.

The family is unhappy that it was left out but they could have been obliged only if the loyalist, Mr. B. V. Mohan Reddy, was dropped.

In Nellore, Mr. Chandramohan Reddy's induction is opposed by five TDP MLAs of the district while in Ranga Reddy district, the Minister just dropped, Ms. Pushpaleela, celebrated her birthday in a big way only last week and MLAs like Dr A. Chandrasekhar and Mr. Harishwar Reddy have grievances.

In Warangal, Mr. E. Dayakar Rao, a Government whip and district TDP president, was in an angry mood, because his claims for inclusion were overlooked and he was threatening to quit TDP as a protest.

The new Ministers have been given minor portfolios, but lot of bargaining went in for the choice of portfolios, because the lists were revised three times during the day.

Mr. Mandava Venkateswara Rao, who was Minister for Major Irrigation, was shifted to School Education while Mr. Kadiam Srihari was given the Irrigation portfolio. Senior Ministers such as Mr. T. Devender Goud, Mr. P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Mr. Y. Ramakrishnudu have retained their portfolios.

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Section  : Southern States
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