Hyderabad: The Telangana state government has cancelled additional security to all former ministers in the state. Out of the 17 ministers in the previous Cabinet, four were defeated in the recent Assembly elections.
However, even after the results, additional security continued for the former ministers. But three days ago, the state government decided to withdraw additional security to all former ministers. So, the former MLAs will now have security on par with other MLAs.
But the former ministers continue to live in government quarters even a month after Assembly poll results were announced.
Some of them are staying on in the hope that they may get a ministry during Cabinet expansion. They plan to vacate the government quarters only if they don’t get any berth in the cabinet expansion.
So far, no TRS MLA or senior leader has any clue as to who all will make it to the Cabinet.
Till Sunday, the buzz was that the Cabinet expansion would take place on January 18. But it is now being speculated, in TRS circles, that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao may not expand the Cabinet till after completion of a proposed Yagam (ritual worship) at his farmhouse from January 21 to January 25.
But some TRS MLAs remain hopeful that the expansion will take
place soon as the Assembly sessions is to start from January 17 for four days.
This short session will see oath-taking by newly elected MLAs, election of Assembly speaker and an address by Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan to the joint session of the Ass-embly and the Legislative Council.
The Assembly’s budget session, where the government will present a vote on account budget, is likely to start in the first week of February.
TRS MLAs feel that since a finance minister is needed for presentation of budget, the Chief Minister might expand the cabinet by month-end if not by January 18. But a senior TRS leader said there was no need for a finance minister in the cabinet, as the Chief Minister himself could present the budget in the Assembly.
