Expectations are high among the elected legislators and party activists of the Telugu Desam (TD), Jana Sena (JS), and BJP regarding who will secure ministerial berths in Nara Chandrababu Naidu’s new government.
The Chief Minister-designate, Chandrababu Naidu, and his team will be sworn in on June 12.
The alliance won 164 out of 175 Assembly seats, with the TD securing 135, JS 21, and BJP 8. Given the large number of aspirants, the leadership faces a challenging task in accommodating various interest groups and talents.
Telugu Desam chief Chandrababu Naidu arrived on Monday after a hectic schedule in New Delhi concerning the formation of the Union Council of Ministers, where his party secured a share.
Naidu is expected to have final discussions with JS chief Pawan Kalyan and top BJP leaders on Tuesday.
According to TD sources, loyalty and commitment to the party will be key criteria for selecting ministers, alongside considerations of caste, region, and other factors.
The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet is expected to have 26 members, including the Chief Minister. Of these, four berths will go to JS and two or three to BJP.
Probable Cabinet Members:
Srikakulam District: K. Atchannaidu, Gouthu Sireesha, Koona Ravi Kumar
Vizianagaram District: K. Kala Venkata Rao, G. Sandhya Rani
Visakhapatnam District: Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu, Vangalapudi Anitha, Ganta Srinivasa Rao
Godavari Region: Jyothula Nehru, Nimmakayala Chinarajappa, Nimmala Ramanaidu, Yanamala Ramakrishnudu (Gorantla Butchaiah Choudhary or Anam Ramnarayana Reddy might become Speaker of the Assembly)
Krishna District: Bonda Uma Maheswara Rao, Gadde Ramamohan, Kollu Ravindra
Guntur District: Nara Lokesh, Dhulipalla Narendra, Nakka Ananda Babu
Prakasam District: Gottipati Ravi Kumar, Damacharla Janardhan
Nellore District: P. Narayana, Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, Vemireddy Prashanthi Reddy
Chittoor District: V.M. Thomas, Amaranath Reddy
Anantapur District: Paritala Sunitha, Payyavula Keshav, Kalava Srinivasulu
Kadapa District: Madhavi Reddy, Ram Bhupal Reddy
Kurnool District: B.C. Janardhan Reddy, Jaya Nageswara Reddy
Jana Sena and BJP Nominees:
Jana Sena: Pawan Kalyan (likely to be named Deputy CM), Nadendla Manohar, Aravinda Srinivas, Bolisetti Srinivas
BJP: Kamineni Srinivas, Adi Narayana Reddy, Satya Kumar
Challenges and Opportunities:
The alliance faces the challenge of fulfilling the extensive promises made in its election manifesto, many of which require substantial financial resources.
The previous YSRC government’s welfare initiatives have created a tight financial situation for Andhra Pradesh. However, there is optimism that the new government, given the changed political climate in Delhi, will secure significant benefits from the Centre.
The TD has already advocated for Special Category State status, which could bolster the state’s economy and industrial activities.
