As the CM leaves for his two-day Delhi tour, Congress leaders back home intensify their efforts in a bid to win (and in some cases, retain) Cabinet berths.
The national capital is all set to morph into the epicentre of Andhra Pradesh politics for the next two days.
As Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy is preparing to leave for a two-day tour to Delhi on Thursday, several Congress MLAs and MLCs have intensified their lobbying manoeuvres to get themselves berths in the state cabinet. However, some ministers are trying hard to ensure that they are not politely (but firmly) shown the exit. A few ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha, are making considerable efforts to get the portfolio of the Home Minister, which stands forlorn and vacant since it was reliquinshed by a certain P Sabitha Indra Reddy recently.
Although the Chief Minister is trying to downplay his tour to Delhi, it is being widely believed within political circles that he intends to finalise the possible (and neccessary, thanks to the recent spate of resignations) cabinet expansion and reshuffle with the Congress High Command.
Since the second phase of the Legislative Assembly's budget session is likely to begin on June 10, it is expected that the Chief Minister might undertake the cabinet reshuffling on June 8.
However, some sources say that the CM might expedite the expansion as it would give him some space before the Assembly session to handle (read "appease") those who end up not getting cabinet berths. (INN)