RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: Who will make it to the Nara Chandrababu Naidu’s cabinet from the erstwhile undivided twin Godavari districts?
As Naidu is set to take over as the Chief Minister of the State for the fourth time on June 12 at Amaravati, legislators from the Godavari districts are trying their luck in getting into his Cabinet. The elephant in the room is Jana Sena Party chief and Pithapuram MLA Pawan Kalyan.
Naidu may have to take him into the Cabinet as he played a crucial role in the victory of the tripartite alliance in the Assembly elections. There are senior MLAs whom Naidu cannot ignore. They include Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary (Rajahmundry Rural), K Raghu Ramakrishna Raju (Undi), Jyothula Nehru (Jaggampet), Kandula Durgesh (Nidadavolu, JSP), Pithani Satyanarayana (Achanta), V Kondababu (Kakinada City) and A Ananda Rao (Amalapuram).
There are 13 Kapu community MLAs from TDP and JSP, six BC MLAs, two ST MLAs, six SC MLAs, two Kshatriya MLAs, four Kamma MLAs, and one Reddy community MLA in the Godavari districts. However, of the eight MLAs, only five to six MLAs may be inducted into the Cabinet.
According to highly knowledgeable sources, Naidu is keen on taking Nimmala Ramanaidu (Palakollu) and Jyothula Nehru (Jaggampet), who belong to the Kapu community, into his Cabinet. There are seven Kapu MLAs from the JSP and six from the TDP. Kandula Durgesh, who was elected to the Assembly from Nidadavolu may get a Cabinet berth under the JSP quota. He also belongs to the Kapu community. A total of five Kapu community MLAs, including JSP chief Pawan Kalyan may get berths in the Cabinet.
Apart from Kapus, Kondababu, Satyanarayana and Ananda Rao may be inducted into the Cabinet. It is interesting to note that there are two women MLAs from the Godavari districts. Yanamala Divya, daughter of former minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, and M Sirisha Devi (Rampachodavaram) are also testing their luck. From the ST quota, Sirisha Devi may get the Cabinet berth.
The disadvantage for Gorantla is his caste. He is a seven-time MLA, but he could become minister for a short period in NTR’s cabinet in 1995-96. Besides, there are six SC reserved Assembly constituencies in the Godavari districts. Interestingly, Undi MLA RRR is leaving no stone unturned to get the ministerial berth.