Andhra Pradesh: Atchanna, Ayyanna, Konathala likely to be ministers
Vijayawada: Former ministers - Ch Ayyanna Patrudu, K. Atchannaidu, Konathala Ramakrishna of the Jana Sena, Dalit-representation MLA Vangalapudi Anitha from Payakaraopeta and Adithi Gajapathi Raju are likely to be ministers in Chandrababu Naidu’s Cabinet.
Finalisation of the names new ministers in the AP Cabinet are currently on as the swearing in is scheduled for Wednesday, June 12.
TD sources say Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu who won the Visakhapatnam seat for the fourth term and Palla Srinivasa Rao, who got the highest margin of votes in the state in Gajuwaka are also likely choices.
Ayyanna Patrudu is the senior-most among the probable inductions. He was in the first cabinet of TD under N.T. Rama Rao and won seven times from Narsipatnam with the latest win in 2024. He represented Ankapalli in parliament for a term from 1996.
A TD politburo member, Patrudu was minister of technical education, roads and buildings and forests during his 31-year-long political career. He had a tough time during the YSRC government’s term, when his house was partially demolished and a few petty cases were filed against him.
Another probable, K. Atchannaidu, was minister for transport and commercial taxes in Naidu’s previous cabinet. He was first elected from Harichandrapuram in a by-poll in 1996, as also in 1999 and 2004. After Harichandrapuram was dissolved in reorganisation, Atchennaidu won from Tekkali in 2014, 2019 and 2024.
His elder brother K. Yerran Naidu was central minister and his nephew K. Ram Mohan Naidu, the MP from Sriakkulam, has been included in the Narendra Modi cabinet. Ram Mohan Naidu’s father-in-law Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy, a former minister, has been elected from Madugula.
The NDA alliance might also pick up senior leader and former Congress minister Konathala Ramakrishna, who joined the Jana Sena this year and got elected from Anakapalli. Ramakrishna was elected Anakapalli MP in 1989 and 1991. After a long gap, he was elected to the assembly from Anakapalli in 2004 and became commercial tax minister in the Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy-led Congress government. He became inactive after 2009 following the death of Rajasekhar Reddy and was with the YSRC for a brief period. He joined the Jana Sena in January this year and got elected from Anakapalli.
The alliance is considering Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu, who registered his fourth win from Visakhapatnam East, as also Vangalapudi Anitha, the outspoken MLA who won twice from Payakaraopeta, Palla Srinivasa Rao who won with highest majority of votes from Gajuwaka and Adithi Gajapathi Raju. Raju’s father P Ashok Gajapathi Raju is a TD politburo member and a former central minister.