Naidu sworn in as Andhra CM

As many as 31 of the 35 ministers in the previous Government did not find place as Naidu preferred to have a small team initially. In a brief chat with a private television channel after the ceremony, the CM said that the Cabinet would be expanded soon. The expansion is expected to take place early next week, most probably on Monday.

Asked why so many ministers were dropped, Naidu said it was not correct to say that they were excluded. “I had only a few days after the results were declared to form the government. I, therefore,preferred to have a small team first and expand it later,” he said.

The Cabinet ministers who were sworn-in are: P Ashok Gajapati Raju, T Devender Goud, A Madhava Reddy, B V Mohan Reddy, K Vijayarama Rao, Y Ramakrishnudu and V Sobhanadreeswara Rao. S Saraswati was the lone woman member, who was taken as minister of state. She was elected from Kodur in Cuddapah district.

With Ramakrishnudu inducted into the Cabinet, K Pratibha Bharati is the most likely choice for the post of Speaker.

Prominent ministers of the outgoing Cabinet who failed to make it again include K Vidyadhar Rao, Tummala Nageswara Rao, Tammineni Sitaram, K Chandrasekhar Rao and Kodela Sivaprasada Rao. Vidyadhar Rao was conspicuous by his absence at the swearing-in ceremony today.

Some of them might find place in the expansion but it is also likely that quite a few may not be favoured with berths. Naidu, who was unhappy with the functioning of some ministers, is keen on inducting new faces into the Cabinet.

Four of the eightministers sworn-in today are new entrants into the ministry — Vijayarama Rao, Sobhanadreeswara Rao, Ramakrishnudu and Saraswati. Vijayarama Rao emerged as the giant killer in the elections as he trounced Congress leader in the dissolved House, P Janardhan Reddy, in Khairatabad Assembly segment in the city. Sobhanadreeswara Rao functioned as special representative to the State government in Delhi.

Ramakrishnudu is one of the senior TDP leaders who functioned as Speaker of the Assembly from 1994 to 1999 but was not keen on continuing in the post. What surprised many partymen was the exclusion of Vidyadhar Rao, who held agriculture portfolio in the last ministry. Rao was one of the two deputy leaders of legislature party during 1989-1994 when it was led by N T Rama Rao. Chandrababu Naidu was the other deputy leader.

Rao was considered to be one of the four ministers who were close to Naidu when he first became the CM in 1995. The other three who enjoyed this distinction were accommodated in the Cabinettoday.