Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu dropped the names of former Ministers Kodela Sivaprasada Rao and Alapati Rajendra Prasad, while inducting two fresh faces in his Cabinet.
Three-time MLA from Chilakaluripet, Pratthipati Pulla Rao, and Ravela Kishore Babu from Prathipadu (SC) constituency were inducted apparently keeping the caste balance in view, it is learnt. The two distinct regions, the upland Palnadu and Guntur delta, were also represented in the Cabinet.
The omission of senior MLAs and party heavyweights such as Mr. Sivaprasada Rao, Mr. Rajendra Prasad and four-time MLA Dhulipalla Narendra Kumar might cause heartburns among the TDP senior leaders.
Mr. Pulla Rao has been rewarded for leading the party district unit for a decade when the party was out of power. A successful cotton trader, Mr. Rao, became an MLA for the first time in 1999 and since then had won two elections and lost one.
In a district known for its intense political rivalry, Mr. Rao has stayed clear of controversies and remained neutral. A close confidante of Mr. Naidu, Mr. Rao has been known to be a strategist in planning various campaigns for the party.
Ravela Kishore Babu, a former IRTS officer, who tasted success in his very first outing on the political arena has also been inducted in the Cabinet. A former OSD to GMC Balayogi, former Speaker of Lok Sabha, Mr. Babu has been connected with the political activities for many years. He also served as Senior Divisional Commercial Manager in Guntur Railway division between 2006 and 2008 and later headed the APCO. Mr. Babu has also been active in evangelical work.
