Getting Congress high command’s nod for long-overdue expansion of state Council of Ministers will be the top agenda of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy during his trip to the national capital, official sources said.
Mr. Kiran will reach Delhi late this evening and have an interaction with AICC general secretary and Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad first, sources said.
He will meet top leaders on Thursday, including, possibly, Sonia Gandhi, they said.
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Sources said the Chief Minister may also meet the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday to discuss various pending issues, such as according of national status to two major irrigation projects - Polavaram and Pranahita-Chevella.
As the State government is reeling under a financial crunch, the Chief Minister is expected to seek additional grants from the Centre, sources added.
“This apart, expansion of the State cabinet is top on the Chief Minister’s agenda as about seven slots are vacant.
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Moreover, legislators of Praja Rajyam Party which is being merged in the Congress also need to be accommodated. The Chief Minister will discuss this with the high command,” they said.
Mr. Kiran will also seek the high command’s direction on whether to continue Botsa Satyanarayana in his Cabinet, now that he has been made the Pradesh Congress Committee chief.
It is also possible that State cabinet expansion may take place only after the expansion\reshuffle of Union cabinet.
Incidentally, the newly-appointed Deputy Chief Minister, Damodar Raja Narasimha, camped in New Delhi over the last three days and met top leaders of Congress, including Sonia Gandhi, and discussed a wide range of issues including Telangana.