A couple of days before Cabinet expansion, two ministers caught up over dinner. When a legislator’s name came up during the discussion, one of them vehemently opposed it. But God and the high command had other plans, and that same MLA joined them as minister on Sunday. They also spoke about a candidate backed by the chief minister. However, that name did not find its way into the final list. When all was said and done, it was clear that lobbying had its limits.
In the dark till midnight
As whispers of a Cabinet expansion started floating in the media on Saturday, rumour mills inside the ruling party went into overdrive. But guess who was clueless? The sitting ministers themselves. Even the top state leadership had not received a heads-up. Some leaders even shrugged it off, saying: “Probably fake news. Maybe someone just wanted to spice up a boring weekend.” Then, just as Sunday night turned into Monday, phones started ringing. An aide to the chief minister was on the line, asking ministers to be ready for the swearing-in. Why the late-night drama? Was someone expecting a last-minute change?
Kalyan Tholeti, B Kartheek