Berth pangs grow ever louder in TRS

Hyderabad: Dissidents spoke up on Monday after missing a berth in Sunday’s Cabinet expansion. Those who spoke up were home minister and MLC Naini Narasimha Reddy and former deputy chief minister and legislator T. Rajaiah.

Speaking to mediapersons in the lobbies, Mr Narasimha Reddy, a Legislative Council member, said Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had not kept his word.

He said, “When I asked KCR for permission to contest the Assembly elections, he asked me to continue as MLC and said that he would give me a ministerial post”. He said that Mr Rao had promised an MLC seat to his son-in-law and this was also not given.

Asked whether the government was considering giving him the RTC chairman’s post, Mr Reddy said, “I don’t want that post, there is nothing in that corporation. He added, “CM KCR is elder in our home but we are all owners.” He said that it was the wish of the co-owners (defectors) how long they wished to continue in the house.

Elsewhere, former deputy chief minister and TRS legislator T. Rajaiah speaking to the media in the Assembly lobbies expressed his dissatisfaction over the Cabinet allocations.

He said the 11 to 12 per cent of the state population comprised the Madigas but the community had got no representation in the Cabinet. He said the Madiga community in TS and the Mala community in AP were present in sizeable numbers.

He said that somebody should speak about this issue. If the opposition parties raised this issue, leaders may argue that they were politicising it.

Malkajgiri MLA Mynampally Hanumantha Rao was also not happy over the Cabinet expansion, according to his close associates.

It may be recalled that health minister Etala Rajendar had indirectly claimed that he was also an owner of the TRS. His comments were supported by TRS MP Capt. Lakshmikantha Rao and MLA Rasamayi Balakishan.