Kaun Banega Raja, Kaun Hai Mantri?

With election dust having settled down and the Congress party getting the required majority to form the government, the political scene has now shifted to Delhi. The big question now is who will be the Chief Minister and who will be in his council of ministers?

While holding of the Congress Legislature Party meeting and passing one-line resolution authorising the party high command to take a decision is a normal practice in Congress which is followed by hectic lobbying for various posts, this time it is most likely that the high command apart from announcing the name of the Chief Minister would also finalise the list of council of ministers based on equations like caste, loyalty to the party, and also keeping in view the assurances given to some of the lateral entrants into the party who were given tickets and had won.

All the developments on Monday indicated that the Congress top leadership has zeroed in on A Revanth Reddy as the Chief Minister since 62 MLAs of 65, including one of CPI have agreed for Revanth’s leadership. It was felt that his name would be announced by evening and that he would take oath immediately after that. But the high command decided to hold a meeting with all observers at AICC which will be chaired by party president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday morning. Earlier Kharge and K C Venugopal met Sonia Gandhi.

Apart from Revanth, N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Damodar Rajanarsimha and Bhatti Vikramarka are also in the race for the CM’s post.

Sources in AICC said that since Uttam may not agree to work in Revanth’s cabinet, his wife Padmavati would be inducted in the cabinet and Uttam may be sent to Lok Sabha again.

One of the options being examined is to make Bhatti and Seethakka (SC) as deputy CMs. According to rules, the cabinet size cannot exceed 17 excluding the Chief Minister. Hence selection of ministers has become a tough task.

The inevitable names are Tummala Nageswara Rao (Kamma) and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy.

Though they joined the party in recent times, they are responsible for sweeps in Khammam district. Similarly, Konda Surekha from Warangal hails from the Padmashali community, and a woman. Other probable candidates are: D Sridhar Babu (Brahmin) Komatireddy Venkatreddy (loyal and senior leader), Malreddy Ranga Reddy or Rammohan Reddy from RR district since Congress badly lost in this district.

The party may also have to accommodate the lone Mudiraj MLA Vakati Srihari as he represents a major community in Telangana. However, in case of Srihari or other aspirants who cannot be inducted into the cabinet may be given posts of whip and chief whip or Speaker.