AP Assembly speaker Thammineni Sitharam is understood to have started mounting pressure on chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to get a cabinet berth. A BC leader from Srikakulam district, Sitharam had eyed the cabinet position after the 2019 general elections. However, the chief minister had convinced him to take the Speaker post as he could not accommodate him in the cabinet.
Jagan Mohan Reddy had done meticulous work in composing his cabinet with due representation to all sections. The SCs, STs, BCs, Minorities and the Kapus were given lion’s share in the cabinet, while the size of the Kammas, Reddys and other forward castes was reduced to minimum. He could successfully handle the pressure from the Reddys to keep their number at low.
Because of these combinations, Sitharam had accepted the Speaker post unwillingly and now strongly wants to get out of the top seat. He wants the chief minister to consider him in the BC quota in the cabinet.
As he hails from the Srikakulam district, the chief minister has to take into consideration that too, where Dharmana family is strong contenders for the ministerial post. Dharmana Krishna Das, the elder one in the family is currently the deputy chief minister holding the revenue ministry.
According to sources, the chief minister is in favour of the younger brother, Dharmana Prasada Rao, for the cabinet this time. Prasada Rao was a staunch supporter of late Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy and is known for his witty and wise oratory skills, which would be of great help to Jagan ahead of the 2024 general elections.
While keeping Thammineni Sitharam in good humour is also equally important for Jagan as he braces up for the second election to retain the power, it is also of greater importance for him to protect the winning horses in every district.
With too many calculators on hand, each calculating factors like caste, district, political importance, it is to be seen how Jagan Mohan Reddy would handle the situation and satisfy the over-ambitious Thammineni Sitharam from the north coastal region.
