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The Chief Minister, Mr K. Rosaiah, is
likely to elevate the tourism minister, Dr J. Geeta Reddy, to the post of deputy
chief minister in the Cabinet reshuffle slated to take place before the
commencement of the Assembly budget session next month.
Mr Rosaiah is proposing the deputy chief ministership to revive a key facet of
the Gentlemen’s Agreement of 1956.
The agreement signed by Telangana and Andhra leaders before the formation of
Andhra Pradesh had several provisions to prevent discrimination against
Telangana.
The Chief Minister’s attempt to revivify it should be seen in the context of the
ongoing struggle for a separate Telangana.
If Dr Geeta Reddy is not chosen, another MLA from the powerful ‘Reddy’ community
would get the post.
The Chief Minister also wants to induct the Speaker, Mr N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, in
the Cabinet. He will be allotted the finance portfolio that is presently being
held by the Chief Minister himself.
Mr Rosaiah will put his reshuffle proposals before the Congress president, Mrs
Sonia Gandhi, when he goes to Delhi to attend the Chief Ministers’ conference on
price rise on January 27.
He is hoping that by the beginning of the budget session, the problems relating
to resignations by Congress MLAs from Telangana region would have been sorted
out.
But if the Telangana issue stretches beyond January, he will go for the revamp
only after completion of the budget session, as by convention no reshuffle or
expansion of ministry takes place during the legislative session.
The Chief Minister is presently holding key portfolios such as finance, excise,
power, commercial taxes, and women and child welfare.
Courtesy: DC
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