HYDERABAD: More than anyone, it is chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy who is understood to be against induction of Praja Rajyam's Kadapa MLC C Ramachandraiah into his cabinet. The chief minister is likely to leave for Delhi on January 17, two days ahead of the tentative date for inclusion of two PRP legislators into the state cabinet, and is expected to argue against Ramachandraiah's inclusion with the party high command. His ground: if an MLC is taken into the cabinet, it will lead to considerable heartburn among several senior Congress members of the Upper House, including D Srinivas, Singam Basavapunnaiah, Paladugu Venkata Rao and Chengal Venkata Rayudu, who have not been considered for ministerial postsdue to policy of not accommodating MLCs.There is opposition to Ramachandraiah's inclusion in the cabinet from the Congress leaders from Kadapa district also. A group, led by minister DL Ravindra Reddy, even undertook a journey to Delhi recently to try to persuade the high command against it. Though the visit was claimed to be for some personal work, sources disclosed that their agenda was to block Ramchandraiah's entry into the cabinet. One member of the group told Express: "Balijas would be very happy if Ramachandraiah is not taken into the cabinet because he had not done anything for them in his long innings in public life. He is like a stale tobacco leaf. It makes no difference whether it is in the mouth or in the closet."Luckily for Anakapalle MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao, the other PRP legislator likely to find berth in the cabinet, who belongs to Kapu community, there is no resistance.KIRAN TO SEEK FREE HANDThe chief minister, according to sources, wants the party high command to give him permission for a reshuffle of the cabinet since he had completed more than a year in office and should be allowed to have a team of his own. He wants to drop a few ministers who have been causing him embarrassment. Even if the party may not entertain his request to sack housing minister Botcha Satyanarayana, he wants P Shankar Rao (Textiles) and DL Ravindra Reddy (Medical and Health), Kasu Krishna Reddy (Cooperation) and Thota Narasimham (Stamps and Registration) to be dropped.Sources said if DL is allowed to be dropped, the chief minister wants C Adinarayana Reddy (Jammalamadugu, Kadapa) be roped in. Similarly, if Shankar Rao is asked to leave, Kiran Reddy wants the party high command to examine the names of either G Kuthuhalamma (Gangadhar Nellore, Chittoor) or G Prasada Kumar (Vikarabad) or Kondru Murali Mohan (Rajam, Srikakulam) for replacement since all of them belong to Scheduled Castes. Kiran Kumar is seeking replacement of Ramreddy Ventaka Reddy (Horticulture) with his brother Ramreddy Damodar Reddy (Suryapet, Nalgonda).
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