BJP MP B. Dattatreya and Telugu Desam Parliamentary Party leader Y. S. Chowdary received calls from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday morning, inviting them to join the Union Cabinet slated to be expanded on Sunday.
Mr. Dattatreya is from the new State of Telangana and Mr. Chowdary is from Andhra Pradesh.
Mr. Modi apparently took note of Telangana being unrepresented in the first Cabinet.
Andhra Pradesh is already represented with TDP MP from Vizianagaram P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju holding the Civil Aviation portfolio. Nirmala Seetharaman, in charge of Commerce and Industries, was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Andhra Pradesh.
Soon after getting the call, Mr. Chowdary, who is a first time Rajya Sabha member, met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and told media persons later that he was prepared to take any responsibility assigned by the Prime Minister. He was not choosy about portfolios.
As a member of the Union Cabinet representing Andhra Pradesh, he would strive for all- round development of the State and for turning its deficit budget into a surplus one, he said.
Mr. Dattatreya, who represents Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency, too said he would work for the development of Telangana. A senior BJP leader with a strong RSS base, he was Union Minister of State for Railways in the previous NDA rule.
