Guntur takes lion's share in state cabinet

Retaining its stronghold on the epicentre of power, the state secretariat, Guntur district has bagged the highest number of cabinet
minister posts -- yet again.

YSR's team has five cabinet ministers (MLC K Rosaiah belongs to Guntur district) and both the deputy speaker of the assembly and deputy chairman of the legislative council hailing from Guntur. While Kapu satrap Kanna Lakshminarayana and lone fisherman legislator Mopidevi Venkata Ramana have been retained, the ideologue of MRPS movement Dokka Manikya Varaprasad and senior MLA Gade Venkata Reddy have been rewarded in the new cabinet.

With the retention of senior minister Rosaiah, who represented Chirala in Prakasam district in the previous cabinet, Guntur's tally has gone up to five cabinet ministers - the highest from any district in the state -- from the previous four berths.

While Nadendla Manohar was made the deputy speaker of the assembly, a post that enjoys the cabinet rank, veteran leader Mohammed Jani is the deputy chairman of the legislative council, which is also equivalent to a cabinet minister post.

Kanna's choice was a forgone conclusion when he got elected to the assembly for the fifth consecutive time, while Ramana, the ports minister in the previous cabinet, got the opportunity due to caste equations as he is the lone fisherman legislator who was elected to the assembly. "In fact, Ramana's blind support to push Vanpic and Coastal Corridor projects even at the cost of displacement of a large number of fishermen has helped him get the berth in the cabinet," a party insider said. It may be recalled both the mega projects are being executed by those close to CM's son Jaganmohan Reddy.

While Murugudu Hanumantha Rao, a minister in the last cabinet, was denied ticket to contest the election, the surprise omission was Kasu Krishna Reddy, a close follower of chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. Sources said Gade's oratory skills and his strong opposition to the separation of state have helped him earn a cabinet berth after a long gap.

Gade, an expert in legal and legislative matters, had served as excise minister in the Kotla Vijayabhaskara Reddy ministry. Another new face in the cabinet, Varaprasad, is the only Madiga legislator to have been elected to the assembly from the coastal region. He replaces Koneru Ranga Rao of Krishna district to fill the community quota.

Meanwhile, Manohar, a strong aspirant for the cabinet berth from Kamma quota, had to contend with the deputy speaker post. Manohar, a two-time legislator, is a staunch follower of PCC chief D Srinivas.

Curiously, Guntur already has the distinction of sending the highest number of public representatives in the legislative houses -- 17 MLAs, seven MLCs, three MPs and one Rajya Sabha member -- in the state.

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