Andhra Cabinet: Naidu inducts son, 4 YSRC MLAs who switched sides

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's son Nara Lokesh, four MLAs of the opposition YSRC who crossed over to the ruling TDP, and six others were on Sunday inducted into the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet while five ministers were dropped.

The first major reorganisation of the state Council of Ministers since the formation of TDP-BJP government on June 8, 2014, however, triggered discontent in the TDP.

One of the dropped ministers, Bojjala Gopala Krishna Reddy, resigned from his Assembly membership. The veteran TDP leader from Chittoor forwarded his resignation letter to Assembly Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao this morning. A copy of the letter was also sent to the CM.

Chandrababu spoke to Bojjala over phone and is said to have explained the reason for dropping him.

Governor E S L Narasimhan administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers at a function near the state government's transitional headquarters at Velagapudi.

The AP Cabinet's strength has now increased to 26.

The Cabinet now has four members of the Legislative Council, including Lokesh who was elected to the state Legislative Council under the MLAs' quota last month.

The four YSRC MLAs, who were sworn-in as ministers included R V Sujay Krishna Rao, Bhuma Akhila Priya, Ch Adinarayana Reddy, N Amarnatha Reddy.

Veteran TDP leader and party's state unit president K Kala Venkata Rao was taken into the Cabinet while his sister-in-law Kimidi Mrinalini was dropped.

The others from the TDP to get Cabinet berths included Pithani Satyanarayana, Nakka Ananda Babu, Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, Kalva Srinivasulu and Kothapalli Samuel Jawahar.

Vijayawada Central MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao, who aspired to become a minister, announced that he would resign from his post but continue in the party.

MPs Kesineni Srinivas and Konakalla Narayana tried to pacify Bonda but the latter remained firm on his decision.

Government whip Ch Prabhakar was also apparently upset that his rival Pithani Satyanarayana, who joined the TDP on the eve of 2014 elections, was made a minister.

In Kadapa district, the home turf of YSRC chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, there was some resentment among those opposed to Adinarayana Reddy, who has been made a minister.

Rama Subba Reddy, senior TDP leader from Jammalamadugu in Kadapa, strongly opposed the inclusion of Adinarayana Reddy in the Cabinet and threatened to quit the party.