Pawan may become deputy CM as Naidu looks set to helm Andhra

Matinee idol and Jana Sena Party president Konidela Pawan Kalyan is likely to be the deputy chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, people aware of the matter said, even as Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu is set to be sworn in as chief minister on Wednesday.

Naidu will be elected as the leader of the National Democratic Alliance in the southern state, comprising the TDP, Jana Sena Party and Bharatiya Janata Party, at a meeting of the newly elected legislators belonging to the three parties to be held at A-Convention Centre in Vijayawada at 9.30 am on Tuesday.

Later in the afternoon, the NDA leaders will submit a letter to governor S Abdul Nazeer, who would invite Naidu to form the government. The swearing-in ceremony will take place near Kesarapalli I-T Centre close to Vijayawada international airport at Gannavaram at 11.27 am on Wednesday.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several central ministers, chief ministers of various NDA-ruled states and other VIPs would be attending the swearing-in ceremony,” TDP state president K Atchennaidu said on Monday. “Tight security measures are being taken for the event.”

The NDA leaders, including Naidu and Pawan Kalyan, who returned from New Delhi on Monday morning, were holding hectic parleys on the formation of the state cabinet, a TDP leader said, declining to be named. As per the norms, the cabinet will comprise a maximum of 25 ministers besides the chief minister.

“Naidu will have to take caste and regional equations, besides seniority and experience of the members, into consideration while constituting his council of ministers,” the TDP leader said. “Since a large number of MLAs from TDP – 135 out of 175 members in the state assembly - got elected this time, it will be a Herculean task for Naidu to satisfy all sections.”

However, as per the understanding during the formation of alliance before the polls, Naidu is most likely to offer the deputy chief minister post to Pawan Kalyan, who was elected from Pithapuram assembly constituency in East Godavari district. “In all probability, he will also be given home and rural development portfolios,” the leader said.

Initially, Pawan Kalyan was hesitant to join the cabinet, as he has a few films on hand to be completed in the next one year. “But he decided to join the cabinet, as it would give him some sense of responsibility in fulfilling the election promises,” a Jana Sena Party leader said, seeking anonymity.

Pawan Kalyan had asked for five berths for his party in the state cabinet, but Naidu explained to him how he is under pressure from within his own party and agreed to accommodate four Jana Sena Party MLAs in the cabinet, including the deputy chief minister position to Pawan Kalyan, the leader added.

Apart from Pawan Kalyan, others whose names are being considered within the Jana Sena Party include Nadendla Manohar from Tenali, Konathala Ramakrishna from Anakapalli, Mandali Buddha Prasad from Avanigadda and Lokam Naga Madhavi from Nellimarla. “If Buddha Prasad cannot be given the cabinet berth, he might be given the deputy speaker post,” the party leader said.

Meanwhile, the BJP may get two cabinet berths. Former union minister Y S Chowdary, popularly known as Sujana Chowdary, who was elected from Vijayawada (West) assembly constituency, and Y Satya Kumar from Dharmavaram might be accommodated in the cabinet. The name of former minister Kamineni Srinivas is also being considered.

Among the TDP members, Naidu is working out a list balancing caste and regional equations. His son and former minister Nara Lokesh, who was elected from Mangalagiri assembly constituency, will be part of the cabinet and would get the portfolios of municipal administration and urban development, IT and industries, which he had held in the earlier stint of the Naidu government, according to a party who did not want to be named.

The names of senior members like Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, K Atchennaidu, Dhulipalla Narendra, Gorantla Buchaiah Chowdary, Ganta Srinivasa Rao, Payyavula Kesav, P Narayana and K Raghu Ramakrishna Raju are being also considered for the cabinet posts.