HYDERABAD: The defeat of four caretaker ministers — Thummala Nageswara Rao, Azmeera Chandulal, Patnam Mahender Reddy and Jupally Krishna Rao — is a blessing in disguise for TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao even as he decides on whom to induct into his next Cabinet. Speaker S Madhusudhana Chary’s defeat, has forced Rao to find an experienced person for the position too.
As Thummala is a Kamma, his exit will open doors for other prominent leaders from the community such as Arekapudi Gandhi (Serilingampally) and Puvvada Ajay Kumar (Khammam).
Jupally Krishna Rao’s drubbing too has worked in the caretaker chief minister’s favour as several party leaders have complained time and again that of the 18 members in the previous Cabinet, four -- Rao, his son KT Rama Rao, his nephew Harish Rao and Jupally -- belong to the numerically weak Velama caste.
The caretaker Chief Minister has time and again asserted that non-performing ministers would be shown the door. What better than having them taken out by the people themselves? Rao had hinted benching Azmeera Chandulal due to his ill-health and controversies surrounding his son. And since he has lost, an ST candidate is likely to be chosen.
In case Rao decides to give the seat to a woman, Rekha Naik from Khanapur will make the cut, if not, Bapurao Rathod (Boath), Banotu Sankar Naik (Mahbubabad) or DS Redya Naik (Dornakal) will be considered.
Redya Naik, a senior MLA, who was first elected in 1978, may either be inducted into the Cabinet or be elevated to the Speaker’s post as there is a dearth of experienced TRS MLAs to run the House.
Madhusudhana Chary was a KCR loyalist and did not take any action on the MLAs who defected from other parties to the TRS in the dissolved Assembly, but he lost in Bhupallpally to Gandra Satyanarayana who contested as an Independent. Deputy Speaker M Padma Devender Reddy may be considered for the Speaker’s post, as she controlled the House very well.
Three families, same connection
As many as three families experienced both jubilation and disappointment on Tuesday. All these families had two candidates, both of them brothers and only one of them won. At Kodangal, TRS’ P Narender Reddy won against Congress’ Revanth Reddy. At the same time, Narender Reddy’s brother Mahender Reddy lost Tandur. Congress’ Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka won Madhira, while brother Mallu Ravi lost Jadcherla. Similarly Congress’ Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy won Munugode while his elder brother Venkat Reddy lost Nalgonda.