Hyderabad: Telangana Cabinet expansion is most probably in the last week of May and TRS working president KT Rama Rao and former irrigation minister T Harish Rao are likely to get berths. Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has already indicated that women will be accommodated in the next phase of Cabinet expansion. With this speculation is rife over Sabita Indra Reddy may get Cabinet berth. Now, the billion dollar question is that who’ll be sent out from Cabinet to pave the way for former ministers?
The 119-Telangana Assembly can have 18 ministers including the chief minister. With 12 ministers including the CM on board, KCR can accommodate six more ministers. KCR may induct two ministers into the Cabinet, while taking KTR and Harish Rao. After this, two more slots lie vacant. It may be recalled that there’s no women representation in the Telangana Cabinet during the first term.
“Except KCR himself, none in the party knows who’ll be accommodated in the Cabinet. May be after Lok Sabha results on May 23, KCR would take a call on this. We hope that Cabinet expansion may be completed before June 2, Telangana formation day. The merger issue of Congress Legislature Party into TRS is in the court.
Another talk of the town about Cabinet expansion is that whether any scope for accommodating three ministers from one district. From the undivided Karimnagar district, Etela Rajender and Koppula Eshwar are holding portfolios of health ministry and social welfare ministry respectively. KT Rama Rao is representing Sircilla Assembly constituency, which is also part of undivided Karimnagar district.
“Will KCR drop any one of two ministers — Etela Rajender and Koppula Eshwar– to accommodate KTR in the Cabinet? Otherwise, Sircilla, Jagtial and Karimanagr are seperate districts. Anyway, we have to wait and see,” said a senior TRS leader.
Koppula Eashwar represents Dharmapuri Assembly constituency in Jagtial district. Etela Rajender represent Huzurabad Assembly constituency in Karimnagar district.
