Do cabinet expansion postpone again ?

Political and media circles in Andhra Pradesh are abuzz with speculation of likely expansion or reshuffle of State cabinet. In fact, besides other key equations everyone is talking about the possible induction of YSR Congress Party MLAs who switched over to ruling party and its reparations. Meanwhile media reports suggest that the Chief Minister has made up his mind to give at least two cabinet berths to 20 plus turncoats with whom he made a secret deal with them prior to their shifting loyalties almost a year ago. However the Chief Minister is facing stiff resistance from old guards to his plans. Some senior leaders even reportedly went to the extent of daring Naidu, hence the proposed cabinet expansion is kept postponing. And the latest reports suggest that the exercise may be carried out only after Assembly budget session, which will begin early next month.

Meanwhile the proposed cabinet expansion has created tempers as political temperature rising in the State in general and Rayalaseema in particular. Exactly a year ago the YCP MLA Bhuma Nagi Reedy and his daughter Vishnu Priya and some other legislators along with their followers shifted loyalties to the ruling party, and it is anybody’s guess that they shifted their loyalties for price and the Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu promised a cabinet berth to Bhuma Nagireddy. But the turn of events in recent weeks since the expansion is widely speculated in the media party senior leaders with strong base came out openly against cabinet berth to Bhuma. And, pushed to the wall, the Chief Minister is in second thoughts and wants to postpone the whole exercise to Ugadi.

However there are people who believe, Chandrababu Naidu, who is not so inclined to take turncoats into the cabinet fearing criticism as he and his party strongly opposed the induction of Talasani Srinivasa Yadav into TRS cabinet in Telangana. It may be recalled that Talasani shifted loyalties from TDP to TRS and Telangana Chief Minister inducted him into his cabinet. Meanwhile someone who know Naidu more closely feel that Naidu is just playing drama the actual reason is something else and definitely not what he saying through leaks.