MLCs demand pound of flesh in Cabinet

Already caught in a bind with Senior Ministers rebelling over the allotment of insignificant portfolios, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy is facing a fresh wave of trouble with MLCs in the state adopting a tough posture, demanding more representation in the Cabinet.

The MLCs’ demand comes even as the the Congress party is making concentrated efforts to mollify the Ministers dissatisfied with the portfolios allotted to them in the Cabinet.

According to sources, the MLCs in the state are feeling that they were insulted by not giving proper representation in the cabinet expansion.

The MLCs said that former chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy promised to give a chance for them during the expansion of Cabinet. However, he died without expanding his Cabinet. Former chief minister K Rosaiah continued with the same Cabinet left over by YSR.

MLCs Rudraraju Padmaraju and Ponguleti Sudhakar on Thursday stated the Chief Minister has done injustice to MLCs by not giving an opportunity to them.

Mr Sudhakar said that the Chief Minister gave an opportunity to only YS Vivekananda Reddy, the lone MLC in the Cabinet, considering his family relations with former chief minister late YSR.

“The MLAs and MLCs are two eyes of the Chief Minister. KKR should not show discrimination while giving an opportunity for berths in the Cabinet. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and a few other Ministers in the Centre were given a chance in Union Cabinet considering their seniority and experience. KKR should have given the chance for some senior and experienced MLCs in his Cabinet,” Mr Sudhakar said.

According to sources, the MLCs’ dissatisfaction will not be addressed, since KKR is already finding it tough to molly the Ministers who resigned after being disgruntled with the portfolios allotment.