Hyderabad: New faces are likely in the new Cabinet of K. Chandrasekhar Rao though there will be old faces around too. The total strength of the cabinet should not exceed 18, including the Chief Minister.
Cabinet formation will apparently be in two phases.
On Wednesday, Mr Rao told media persons that on Thursday he alone will take oath as Chief Minister, though party sources say one more minister will also be sworn in, most probably from the weaker sections of the society.
In the first phase, TRS sources say, former ministers T. Harish Rao, K.T. Rama Rao and Etela Rajendar are most likely to be inducted. Altogether nine or 10 ministers will be selected.
It’s not clear whether former Deputy Chief Ministers Mohmood Ali and Kadiyam Sri Hari will be among them.
The four sitting ministers who were defeated in the election will be replaced by new faces.
So, for instance, in Mahabubnagar district, Panchayat Raj Minister Jupally Krishna Rao was defeated.
From this district Wanaparthy MLA Singireddy Niranjan Reddy may get a chance to enter the Cabinet.
Niranjan Reddy was appointed vice chairman of the state planning board in the previous government and had resigned before contesting as an MLA. MLA Errabelli Dayakar Rao also has a chance to be appointed as a Cabinet minister though whether in the first or second phase is not clear yet.
Women may make it to the Cabinet this time. There was not a single woman in the last Telangana State cabinet, for which the Chief Minister was criticised. There are two possibilities: former Deputy Speaker Padma Devendar Reddy and Gongadi Sunitha who is a second-time MLA.
Mr Rao had mentioned during the election campaign that Ms Sunitha will be given an important post in the next government.
Should she be taken into the Cabinet, Ms Padma Reddy may be promoted to Speaker of the Telangana Legislative Assembly.
Yet another possibility is that senior MLA D.S. Redya Naik will be made Speaker and Ms Padma Reddy may be taken into the Cabinet. Tummala Nageswara Rao, R&B minister in the previous Cabinet, who was defeated in this election, may yet get a second innings. The former minister is close to KCR and on Wednesday he held discussions with him. Whether he makes it to the Cabinet or whether Puvvada Ajay Kumar from Khammam is given a chance is to be seen.
Transport minister in the previous cabinet Mahendar Reddy was defeated from Ranga Reddy and MLAs of this district are lobbying to replace him.
Ministers in the old cabinet, Talasani Srinivasa Yadav and K. Padma Rao, from Hyderabad city both won as did former minister Danam Nagendar also from the city.
