Date:17/05/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/05/17/stories/2004051705180400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

YSR leaves for Delhi

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, MAY 16. The Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, left for New Delhi on Sunday evening to attend the AICC meeting on Monday and the swearing-in ceremony of the Congress Prime Minister.

The itinerary of the Chief Minister also includes discussions with the AICC president, Sonia Gandhi, and other senior leaders on the Cabinet formation exercise. Dr. Reddy is carefully going about the business of choosing his team keeping in view the intra-party compulsions arising out of groupism.

Dr. Reddy is also keen on discussing the portfolios to be allotted to MPs from Andhra Pradesh in the Union Cabinet. The political realities might see the State Congress MPs grab at least four plum Cabinet posts.

Party sources said the Chief Minister might suggest that portfolios like Rural Development be given to the members from the Andhra Pradesh so that the State could gain leverage in accessing funds and meet his priorities such as rural development, agriculture, irrigation, power and industrial growth.

Dr. Reddy is also hopeful of securing enough funds from the Centre to sustain the party's promises so that it will be in a strong position by the next elections. He is also happy over the reaction of people in rural areas to the freebies announced so far.