The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Congress MPs lobby for Cabinet berths

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Saturday, May 23, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Congress MPs lobby for Cabinet berths

Hopes on at least another six MPs finding a place in the Union Cabinet

Party may retain Daggubati Purandeswari and M. M. Pallam Raju
Among BCs, five-time MP from Rajampet A. Saipratap is frontrunner

M. M. Pallam Raju

Panabaka Lakshmi

D. Purandeswari

HYDERABAD: With Chevella MP S. Jaipal Reddy making to the Union Cabinet on Friday, the race for the remaining berths in the State gained momentum with senior Parliamentarians lobbying hard.

Mr. Jaipal Reddy was the lone MP from the State to get a Cabinet berth at the swearing-in of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Party leaders here are hopeful that at least another six MPs would find a place in the Council of Ministers as the State had contributed the highest contingent of 33 MPs to the UPA Government.

MPs confident

Though Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy had expressed doubts whether the State would get a better share than last time, party MPs are exuding confidence that the high command would give due recognition for the exemplary performance in the elections.

Accordingly, the party leadership may choose to retain Daggubati Purandeswari and M. M. Pallam Raju, both hailing from the dominant Kamma and Kapu communities, in coastal Andhra.

Another term

The party may also give another term to Panabaka Lakshmi, who won Bapatla (SC) constituency. In the alternative, former Union Minister Chinta Mohan (Tirupati – SC)) may get the nod. Among the Backward Classes, five-time MP from Rajampet A. Saipratap is the frontrunner. A close confidant of Dr. Reddy, Mr Saipratap belongs to the Balija community.

Vundavalli certain?

Another aspirant for a berth is Rajahmundry Member of Parliament Vundavalli Arun Kumar to be accommodated as a Minister of State. Mr. Arun Kumar enjoys good rapport with the AICC president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi, having translated their speeches into Telugu during the election campaign in the State.

Hopeful

Other Lok Sabha members hopeful of a chance are K. S. Rao (Eluru), Ananta Venkataram Reddy (Anantapur), Madhu Yaskhi Goud (Nizamabad), Manda Jagannath (Nagarkurnool) and Anjan Kumar Yadav (Secunderabad). Even Rajya Sabha members such as T. Subbarami Reddy, V. Hanumantha Rao and K. Keshava Rao have not lost hope of their inclusion in the Cabinet.

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