Naidu inducts son, 4 defectors

- In all, CM adds 11 members to his Cabinet
- Lokesh cynosure of all eyes at swearing in

Amaravati: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday inducted his son Lokesh and six others along with four Opposition YSRC MLAs who had joined the TDP into his Cabinet after dropping five ministers. This is the first major reshuffle of his Cabinet since formation of the TDP-BJP government on June 8, 2014. Lokesh has been the centre of attraction in the swearing-in ceremony and second in the series to be called out for oath-taking.

After administration of the oath, Lokesh took the blessings from the Governor by touching his feet and thanked his father and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu with folded hands. His father-in-law and actor Nandamuri Balakrishna, wife Bramhani with two-year old son Devansh and mother Bhuvaneswari reached the venue well in advance and were seated in the first rows to watch the event.

He took oath sharp at 9.22am as per the muhurat. Hari Krishna, Ramakrishna, Jaya Krishna, Kalyanram from NTR family and actor Nara Rohith too joined the occasion

Naidu inducted 11 members taking the size of his Cabinet from 21 to 26. Those sworn in were Kimidi Kala Venkata Rao, Nara Lokesh, Pitani Satyanarayana, Nakka Anandbabu, Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, Ravu Sujaya Venkatakrishna Ranga Rao, Kalva Srinivasulu, P Adinarayana Reddy, KS Jawahar, N Amarnath Reddy and Bhuma Akhila Priya. Among them, four are defected MLAs.

When Adinarayana Reddy was taking oath, his supporters from his native Kadapa district raised slogans, depicting him as “Kadapa tiger”. Supporters of Bhuma family displayed the portraits of Bhuma Nagi Reddy and his wife Sobha when Akhila Priya was being administered the oath. When Kalva Srinivasulu reached the venue, a group of enthusiasts congratulated him with bouquets before his swearing-in.

Etcherla MLA Kala Venkata Rao is TD AP unit president, MLC Somiredddy Chandramohan Reddy is politburo member, Achanta MLA Pitani Satyanarayana was minister in the previous Congress government. Kovur MLA KS Jawahar, Vemuru MLA N Anand Babu, B Akhila Priya got the opportunity as Cabinet ministers for the first time.

Palamaneru MLA N Amarnath Reddy shifted his loyalties from YSR Congress. Rayadurgam MLA Kaluva Srinivasulu had been in the government as Chief Whip.

Lokesh’s induction sprang no surprise as it happened much in anticipation. Indicating this, huge cutouts and banners greeting the young leader on his swearing-in ceremony hung over the road leading to the venue close to the secretariat all along. When he was getting administered the oath, crowds lustily cheered him with slogans in praise of Lokesh leadership.

The higher-ups in the government seemed to be wary of Lokesh’s clout as Chief Minister’s son and went overdrive in allotting chambers for him well in advance. A spacious video conference hall in the first floor of the Block-II was converted into his official chambers with all the paraphernalia. But he is due to formally occupy the chambers.

The MLAs who defected from YSRC to TDP - Sujay Krishna Ranga Rao (Bobbili, Vizianagaram), N Amaranath Reddy (Palamaneru), C Adinarayana Reddy (Jammalamadugu, Kadapa) and Akhila Priya (Allagadda, Kurnool) - were given Cabinet berths.

Leader of Opposition Y S Jaganmohan Reddy said the induction of his party MLAs into the Cabinet was a "grave insult" to the Constitution and also to the state. "This is a black day in the political history of Andhra Pradesh," the YSRC president said.

Patibandla Srinivas