Expectations in AP High on Number of Berths in Union Cabinet

Vijayawada: As the Union council of ministers is set to take oath of office on Sunday, expectations from AP are building up on how many berths it will get in the Cabinet. It is likely that AP may get five berths with three for TD and one each for Jana Sena and BJP.

As BJP on its own got 240 seats (including three from AP) in the Lok Sabha against the magic number of 272, the BJP-led NDA got 293 seats to form the government. Out of NDA’s total of 293 seats, AP’s share of 21 with TD on its own getting 16, JS-two and BJP-three, is playing a crucial role for BJP to form the government.

Moreover, among all allies in the NDA, AP’s share is relatively more and it is for this reason, Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu is being given prominence.

At this backdrop, Naidu appears to be asking for around five berths including three Cabinet and two minister of state rank in the initial phase subject to various considerations like political party, caste, region and other considerations.

Though the names of some probables are doing rounds on social media, it is the TD chief Naidu who will take a final call to propose to Modi to induct them into the council of ministers.

Sources say out of three BJP MPs-elect including Daggubati Purandeswari (Rajahmundry), C.M. Ramesh (Anakapalli) and Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma (Narasapuram), there may be a chance of C.M. Ramesh given the proximity he enjoys with Naidu despite being a member of BJP.

Political analysts say that as Naidu and his co-brother-in-law Daggubati Venkateswara Rao are having family feuds, he may prefer C.M. Ramesh for the Cabinet berth.

Out of two MPs-elect from Jana Sena including Tangella Uday Srinivas from Kakinada and V. Balashowry from Machilipatnam, there may be a chance for Balashowry given his past experience with YSRC and in case the Jana Sena gets the chance to get the berth.

With TD having 16 MPs-elect, the name of K. Ram Mohan Naidu from Srikakulam is doing rounds as he hit the hat-trick, to get Cabinet berth while there is a lot of speculation on other names from TD having chance to get Cabinet berth based on several parameters.

All the MPs-elect are camping in Delhi as they attended a meeting to extend their support for Modi to become the leader of NDA. Moreover, as the swearing-in of council of ministers is scheduled to be held on Sunday, all MPs-elect from AP are continuing to stay in Delhi testing their luck to get a call probably from Modi confirming their berth in the council of ministers.

Sources say that a hectic exercise is going on among the leaders from TD-JS-BJP to finalise the names of probables for berths in the Union council of ministers to be given to Modi to announce officially on Sunday.