GUNTUR: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu seems to have ignored many seniors while composing his Cabinet. Of the 19 ministers, who were sworn in along with Naidu here on Sunday, a majority were new faces.
Of them, four ministers are from Kamma community to which Naidu belongs. Another influential Kapu community got a substantial share of five Cabinet berths. Naidu gave only two berths to Reddys, who are also a powerful group in the residuary state of AP.
There is no Muslim minister as the TDP does not have even a single Muslim MLA in the newly elected House.
Interestingly, though P Narayana of Nellore, belonging to Balija community, is not a member of either House of state legislature, he has been inducted into Naidu’s cabinet. Naidu is said to be planning to nominate him to the Legislative Council.
Though the party has one ST MLA, M Srinivas (Polavaram), he did not find place in the Cabinet. Seven-time MLA Pathiwada Narayanaswamy Naidu, belonging to Vizianagaram district, former minister Kodela Sivaprasada Rao, six-time MLA Gowtu Shyam Sundar Sivaji from Srikakulam district and Gorantla Buchaiah Choudary are disappointed as their boss preferred their juniors to them.
As promised earlier, the Chief Minister has created two Deputy CM posts, one for BCs and one for Kapus. From the BC community, he has chosen as his deputies his trusted lieutenant KE Krishnamurthy, who is from Gouda community, and Nimmakayala Chinna Rajappa from Kapus.
Kadapa district, from where his bete noir YS Jagan Mohan Reddy hails, has no representation in Chandrababu Naidu’s Cabinet.
