VIJAYAWADA: As Chief Minister, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy sets out to constitute his Cabinet on June 8, now it is for the ministerial aspirants to get into his good books.
With the YSRC winning an overwhelming 151 MLAs in the 175-member Assembly, there is a stiff competition among the party leaders for Cabinet berths.
Though he was busy meeting officials, who came to his residence since morning on Friday apart from reviewing school education department’s functioning, sources said that he spared time to discuss with party senior leaders the all-important task of Cabinet formation.
It is learnt that the CM is in favour of accommodating in the Cabinet some senior leaders representing the YSRC in the Legislative Council.
As Jagan, during the electioneering, assured of ministerial berths to some of the leaders such as Alla Ramakrishna Reddy, who won against TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh from Mangalagiri, Marri Rajasekhar, who gave up Chilakaluripet seat to a woman candidate chosen by the party, Balineni Srinivasa Reddy from Ongole, now the exercise will be narrowed down to filling up the remaining berths.
Sources said that Jagan Mohan Reddy postponed his earlier plan to occupy his chambers in the Interim Government Complex (IGC) in Velagapudi from Friday to 8.39 am on June 8. The Chief Minister will perform pooja and later sign important files that day. Later, the swearing-in ceremony of his ministers will take place in the ground adjacent to the Interim Government Complex.
Dharmana, Botsa in Cabinet berth race
The first meet of Council of Minister will be held the same day. Those who are in the race for ministerial berths include Dharmana Prasada Rao, Tammineni Sitaram and Reddy Santhi from Srikakulam; Botsa Satyanarayana, K Veerabhadra Swamy, Pushpa Srivani and Rajanna Dora from Vizianagaram; Gudivada Amarnath, Gorle Babu Rao and Mutyala Naidu from Visakhapatnam; P Subash Chandrabose and K Kannababu from East Godavari; Alla Nani, Taneti Vanitha and Grandhi Srinivas from West Godavari; K Parthasarathy and Meka Venkata Pratap Apparao from Krishna district.
There are four aspirants from Guntur — Alla Ramakrishna Reddy, Marri Rajasekhar, Ambati Rambabu and Kona Raghupathi.
Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, Adimulapu Suresh (Prakasam district), Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, Mekapati Goutham Reddy (Nellore), Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, Karunakar Reddy, RK Roja (Chittoor), G Srikanth Reddy, Amzad Basha (Kadapa), Buggana Rajendranath Reddy, Sridevi (Kurnool), Anantha Venkatarami Reddy, Kapu Ramachandra Reddy (Anantapur) are the others eyeing Cabinet berths.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy decided to organise department-wise reviews from Saturday.
He will review Finance and Revenue departments on Saturday and Education department on June 3, Water Resources and Housing departments on June 4, Agriculture and Allied Sectors on June 5 and CRDA on June 6.
Renovation of the first floor of the first block, where the CMO is located, is being done in accordance with ‘Vasthu’ rules. Chambers of the Chief Secretary is being shifted to the next room.