As expected, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao introduced a surprise element in the expansion of his 12 member Cabinet by recommending Telugu Desam MLA of Sanatnagar Talasani Srinivas Yadav as one of the six Ministers for swearing-in by Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan on Tuesday.
Mr. Rao forwarded the list of Ministers designate comprising Mr. Yadav, Mr. Tummala Nageswara Rao, Jupally Krishna Rao, C. Laxma Reddy, A. Indrakaran Reddy, and A. Chandulal to the Raj Bhavan on Monday evening. They will be administered the oath of office and secrecy by Mr. Narasimhan on Raj Bhavan lawns at 11 AM.
The Chief Minister discussed the expansion with the TRS secretary general and Parliamentary party leader K. Keshava Rao at the latter’s residence before sending the list. He also finalised in the process four Parliamentary secretaries who will function on behalf of the Telangana government. They included MLAs Kova Laxmi, who was a strong contender for Cabinet berth in the expansion, D. Vinay Bhaskar, Jalagam Venkata Rao and V. Srinivas Goud.
Sources said Mr. Rao also nominated S. Niranjan Reddy who unsuccessfully contested the Assembly elections from Wanaparthy as the vice-chairman of Telangana planning board.
Earlier, Mr. Rao consoled the sulking Dharmapuri MLA Koppula Easwar even as the latter’s supporters laid siege to the TRS office here. After meeting Mr. Rao at his bungalow, Mr. Easwar told the media that he would wait for one more year to see whether Mr. Rao would give him some responsible position.
