There has been a lot of suspense in the Telangana Rashtra Samithi over the proposed cabinet expansion by chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
Though it was expected that KCR would expand his council of ministers on Tuesday itself, it did not happen for reasons known only to him.
Later, a leak from the Chief Minister’s Office says KCR is doing exercise on cabinet formation and the expansion might take place in the last week of December.
The leak also said KCR might restrict his cabinet expansion to induction of just 6-8 ministers and there won’t be any deputy chief ministers.
The latest information is that KCR might retain all the major portfolios such as irrigation, power sector, municipal administration and information and public relations with him, while allocating not so powerful portfolios to others.
The reason is to keep the MLAs and ministers under his control; and all the contractors and officials have to come to him and not to the ministers.
That was precisely why KCR did not invite his nephew and Siddipet MLA T Harish Rao to the recent review meeting of irrigation, thereby sending clear indications that Harish Rao would not be given the irrigation portfolio again.
It would be retained by KCR himself or given to Vemula Prashant Reddy, MLA from Balkonda, who is his close confidant. Prashant attended the recent irrigation review meeting.
There is also a talk that Harish Rao would not be given any cabinet berth at all and would be restricted to the post of MLA. At the most, he would be made party chief whip in the assembly, sources said.