HYDERABAD: As the Assembly session is in progress, speculation is rife on whether the Congress will announce its nominees for the posts of Deputy Speaker, chief whip and whips in the House.
In its first session after assuming power, the party appointed four whips — Beerla Illaiah, Ramachandra Naik, Adluri Laxman and Aadi Srinivas, as well as Gaddam Prasad Kumar as the speaker. However, the posts of deputy speaker, chief whip and two more whips remain vacant. Now, Congress MLAs are urging the party leadership to fill these posts.
Several senior and young MLAs are vying for these positions, lobbying with the party leadership and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. Sources said that some MLAs, who are aware that their chances of making it to the Cabinet in the speculated expansion are slim, are eyeing the deputy speaker and chief whip posts. They are reportedly lobbying with Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and ministers N Uttam Kumar Reddy and D Sridhar Babu.
Front-runners
If sources are to be believed, P Rammohan Reddy, Malreddy Rangareddy and Balu Naik are the front-runners for the posts of deputy speaker and chief whip. However, these MLAs are hopeful of Cabinet berths, and may even refuse the deputy speaker and chief whip posts if offered. There is a possibility that MLAs from theerstwhile Rangareddy district, which is not represented in the Cabinet, may be chosen for these posts.
Lobbying for Cabinet berth
Meanwhile, Balu Naik is making efforts to secure a ministerial role, although the presence of two ministers and a whip from his district of erstwhile Nalgonda complicates his chances. Party insiders say that he might be accommodated as chief whip or deputy speaker so as to maintain the social equations with an SC MLA as Speaker and a deputy speaker from the ST community.
Other MLAs, including those elected for the second and third terms, are also eyeing the deputy speaker and chief whip posts. However, seniors in the party say that waiting for the speculated merger of the BRSLP would be wise as the MLAs from the pink party may have to be offered some plum posts.
A senior leader and minister said that the Congress leadership may not even take up the matter of filling these posts now as the party is expected to go in for an overhaul of the TPCC and Cabinet expansion.
The leader said that the posts will be filled keeping social equations in view while giving an opportunity to younger MLAs by appointing them as whips and to Assembly committees.