Patnam inducted into KCR Cabinet

Hyderabad: Senior BRS leader and MLC Patnam Mahender Reddy took oath as a minister in Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao's Cabinet on Thursday. Sources said Reddy would be given the portfolios of Department of Mines and Information and Public Relations.

Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan administered the oath of office to Reddy at Raj Bhavan.

One ministerial berth fell vacant in the 17-member Cabinet after then Health Minister Eatala Rajendar quit the post due to political differences with KCR. From then onwards, Finance Minister T Harish Rao has been holding the additional portfolio of the department.

However, the decision of the Chief Minister to induct a minister just three months before the Assembly elections had raised many an eyebrow. Leaders said KCR had decided to take him into the Cabinet to avoid any dissension as Mahender Reddy had threatened to quit the party as the name of his political rival and sitting MLA Pilot Rohit Reddy was announced as the candidate for the Tandoor Assembly constituency.

Unhappy over this decision, Mahender Reddy was planning to join the Congress which had assured to field him from Tandur. Sensing that if this happens, it could cost heavily for the party in the elections, KCR offered him a berth in his Cabinet. It may be mentioned here that in the past too Mahender Reddy had served as a minister in KCR’s government.

While inducting him into the council of ministers, KCR has entrusted Reddy with the task of ensuring party’s victory in Tandur and Vikarabad constituencies.