HYDERABAD: Three days after taking oath as Chief Minister, N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday allocated portfolios to his 19 Cabinet Ministers. As already reported, he made KE Krishna Murthy and Nimmakayala Chinna Rajappa his deputies.
While allotting responsibilities, the Chief Minister seems to have given priority to ‘personal loyalty’ more than political experience. At the same time, he tried to maintain regional balance and ensure ‘social justice’. For instance, he allocated the key home ministry to his trusted lieutenant Nimmakayala Chinna Rajappa — despite he being a first-time minister and perhaps, keeping in mind the fact that he belongs to the influential Kapu community.
Similarly, Naidu gave the plum revenue portfolio to his other deputy, a BC, KE Krishna Murthy, to keep the community in good humour. Though senior leader Yanamala Ramakrishnudu is learnt to have sought the home department, Naidu opted to allot him finance — Yanamala has experience on his side and will be key to bail out Seemandhra from its financial crisis.
Since Ramakrishnudu is also a BC leader, Naidu can claim he gave important portfolios to BCs. Naidu tried to satisfy his another senior colleague Chintakayala Ayyannapathrudu, also a BC leader, by making him Panchayat Raj Minister. The Chief Minister seems to have rewarded Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao with irrigation ministry for picking holes in the prestigious Jalayagnam project, undertaken by YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s government during the time the TDP was in the Opposition.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi allotted an important portfolio like Civil Aviation to TDP leader P Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Naidu too tried to reciprocate by assigning key departments to the two BJP ministers in his government. Kamineni Srinivas was given Health and Medical Education department whereas Pydikondala Manikyala Rao was made Endowments Minister. Interestingly, the Chief Minister kept some key portfolios with himself.
Ministers & Portfolios
N Chandrababu Naidu, CM
(Law, Infrastructure, Investments,
Power, Commerce, Industries)
Chinna Rajappa
Deputy CM (Home)
KE Krishna Murthy
Deputy CM (Revenue)
Y Ramakrishnudu
(Finance, Legislative Affairs)
C Ayyannapatrudu
(Panchayat Raj)
Gopala Krishna Reddy
(Environment, Forest)
Devineni Uma (Irrigation)
P Sunitha (Civil Supplies)
G Srinivasa Rao (Education)
P Pulla Rao (Agriculture)
K Srinivas
(Health & Medical Education)
K Atchannaidu
(Labour, Employment)
P Narayana (Urban Dev)
P Raghunatha Reddy
(Information and PR)
S Raghava Rao (Transport)
Mrunalini (Rural Dev)
K Ravindra (Excise)
R Kishore Babu (Tribal Welfare)
Manikyala Rao (Endowments)
P Sujatha
(Women and Child Welfare)
