Will KTR Have His Command ‘Stamp’ On The ‘New Cabinet’?

The rapid changes in the State political map with the appointment of Sircilla MLA K.T. Rama Rao as the working president of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) may reflect in the new Cabinet too.

Taraka Rama Rao, who has successfully positioned himself as the youth icon in the last five years of TRS rule, is likely to see his stamp on the Cabinet formation, if party sources are to be believed.

The urgency with which he is made the working president of the party by Chief Minister and TRS president K. Chandrashekar Rao is an indication that KTR will have control of the administration of both the party and the government.

In this scenario Rama Rao’s choice of a few members in the Cabinet is not just inevitable but also necessary if he has to leave his mark.

“Though the Chief Minister wants to guide his son carefully before he is pushed into the top post he also understands his son’s political and administrative capabilities very well,” a senior official said. The way he handled the rebels in the recent elections and impressively campaigned for the party candidates across the State upping his stakes also gave enough confidence to the Chief Minister.

Rama Rao in his capacity as a Minister in the last term in fact left an indelible mark on the administration with his versatility impressing senior bureaucrats to CEOs of multi-nationals, politicians across the spectrum at the state and the national level, and also different sections of people with his style, eloquence and ability to grasp things pretty fast.

So the Chief Minister will not hesitate to have a say for KTR in the Cabinet, a senior party leader said adding that this will lead to more new faces in the Cabinet and some of them politically younger.

The defeat of four senior ministers — Tummala Nageshwara Rao, Jupally Krishna Rao, P. Mahender Reddy and Ajmeera Chandulal — has certainly opened up space for new faces as well. Moreover, the appointment of Mahmood Ali as the Home Minister is also an indication of Nayini Narsimha Reddy being moved out.

The defeated ministers held important portfolios like Roads and Buildings, Panchayat Raj, Transport while Revenue is now opened with Mr. Mehmood Ali getting Home Ministry. Party leaders feel these portfolios may be left to the choice of Mr. Rama Rao if he had to make a mark on the governance in the long run. It is difficult to guess the names as the Chief Minister never reveals his cards and known to throw surprises, a senior leader admitted. #KhabarLive