Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao who disappointed many Cabinet aspirants on Monday, had to cajole them, especially sulking senior party leader and Dharmapuri SC MLA Koppula Eshwar.
Mr Rao invited an upset Mr Eshwar to his camp office and tried to smoothen ruffled feathers. Mr Eshwar, who was sure of a Cabinet berth, was appointed as the Government Chief Whip triggering protests from his supporters for ignoring a “staunch TRS soldier”.
Mr Eshwar was among the many aspirants who lost the race for Cabinet berths including Legislative Council chairman Swami Goud, Deputy Speaker Padma Devender Reddy, Enugu Ravinder Reddy (Yellareddy), Vinay Bhaskar and others.
Unlike the past when MLAs would eagerly wait for news of Cabinet reshuffles, this time they waited with bated breath for announcement of nominated posts like whips, corporation chairpersons and Parliamentary secretaries.
The CM met party secretary general Dr K. Kesava Rao, ministerial aspirants and gave final touches to the Cabinet expansion. “My future is in the hands of the CM. If the TRS is in trouble...needs adjustments, I will wait for six months or one year. KCR discussed the issue with me. I stand by the party’s decision,” Mr Eshwar said.
Mr Eshwar, who has taken the Ayyappa deeksha, spent an hour with the CM who reportedly explained to him the reasons for not considering his name for a Cabinet berth.
Read: Telangana Cabinet's first expansion to take place today
Despite KCR’s attempt to placate him, an upset Eshwar pointed out that he had stood by the party and KCR through thick and thin.
“My future is in the hands of KCR Garu. I am sure that he will decide about it. I have full confidence in him,” he remarked.
KCR also reportedly discussed giving nominated posts to senior party leaders and others, especially legislators who were denied Cabinet berths, with Dr Kesava Rao.
“A large number of supporters thronged the residence of MLA Vinay Bhaskar in Warangal as rumours spread that he would be inducted in the Cabinet. But like others, he was shocked when he was made parliamentary secretary,” a senior TRS leader from the district said.
Meanwhile, Posters greeting two ministerial aspirants were splashed across the city a day before the actual Cabinet expansion on Tuesday.
Sanathanagar MLA T. Srinivas Yadav and Khammam strongman Tummala Nageswara Rao’s supporters put up posters greeting them on being inducted into the Cabinet. However, there was no official announcement yet.
Normally, posters thanking the Chief Minister are put up by supporters after the ministers are actually inducted in the Cabinet.
Read: Telugu Desam whip could embarrass new minister
This is the first time that supporters have pasted such posters in the city.
The posters indicated that both of them were assured Cabinet berths, but it irked TRS leaders who are peeved that defectors are getting ministerial berths while those who stood by the party all through the Telangana movement are being ignored.
Apart from T. Nageswara Rao, who is neither an MLA or MLC, those who are likely to be included in the Cabinet are Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Jupally Krishna Rao (Kollapur), Laxma Reddy (Jadcherla), Chandulal ( Mulug ST) and A. Indrakaran Reddy (BSP, Nirmal).
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao named two more MLAs Ms Kova Laxmi (Asifabad ST) and Vinay Bhaskar (Warangal West) as Parliamentary secretaries in addition to Jalagam Venkat Rao and Srinivas Goud while promising nominated posts to others.
Mr Rao also appointed senior TRS leader from Mahbubnagar, S. Niranjan Reddy as vice-chairman of the Telangana State Planning Board.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will induct six more Ministers into his 12 member cabinet on Tuesday at Raj Bhavan at 11 am.
Governor ESL Narasimhan will administer oath of office to the new ministers.
After swearing in ceremony, Chief Minister will hold cabinet meeting at 12 noon followed by second all party meeting at Secretariat at 2 pm where issues pertaining land regularisation, metro rail, Vinayak Sagar in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy district will be discussed.
If KCR plans to induct a woman legislator, names of Padma Devender Reddy (Medak) and Konda Surekha (Warangal East) among others are doing the rounds.
Several TRS legislators met the Chief Minister to try their luck for induction into cabinet. At present there is no representation in the cabinet among women and Mahabubnagar and Khammam district besides ST.
In another surprise move unheard in the past, KCR openly poured cold water on cabinet aspirants by doling out Government Chief Whip, whips posts and promised corporation posts to those who could not get cabinet berths.
