Guntur: Covid crisis prolongs tenure of 2 ministers Mopidevi Venkataramana Rao & Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose

Guntur: Owing to crisis caused by Covid-19, tenure of two ministers will continue for a few more months.

Minister for agriculture and marketing Mopidevi Venkata RamanaRao, Deputy Chief Minister and minister for revenue Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose were to resign from the Cabinet following the YSRCP's decision to elevate them to Rajya Sabha. However, the elections to Rajya Sabha got postponed due to spread of Covid.

They will continue in the Cabinet as ministers till the Rajya Sabha poll process is completed. This is disappointing for the MLAs aspiring to be inducted into YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's Cabinet in their place.

Subhash Chandra Bose, Venkata Ramana Rao were elected to the State Legislative Council and got berth in the state Cabinet.

When the state Assembly passed a resolution to abolish the Legislative Council, they were worried that they would lose their berths in the Cabinet as well as MLC posts. They announced that they will abide by the party high command's decision and ready to sacrifice their posts.

Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy assured them that he will field the two ministers to the Rajya Sabha.

Subsequently, they filed nomination papers to contest in the Rajya Sabha elections. Due to increase of Covid-19 cases, the Election Commission of India, postponed the Rajya Sabha elections on March 25.

As a result, they are continuing in the Cabinet. If the ECI conducted Rajya Sabha election as per schedule, they would have been elected to Rajya Sabha and should have resigned.

It may be recalled that the Chief Minister had assured berth in the Cabinet to Mangalagiri MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy for defeating Nara Lokesh in the Assembly election.