It’s Chiru time at the Centre

[1]

In all likelihood, Congress Rajya Sabha member from the state K. Chiranjeevi will be inducted into the Union Cabinet in the reshuffle that is likely to take place on October 28.

Chiranjeevi, who had merged his Praja Rajyam into the Congress in February 2011, was promised to be accommodated at the Centre by none other than Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Sources close to Chiranjeevi confirmed to this correspondent that he was asked to be available between October 24-29, indicating the likelihood of a berth in the Union Council of Ministers.

Sources said Chiranjeevi will be given the post of Minister of State with independent charge.

For Chiranjeevi, it has been an endless wait ever since he became a Rajya Sabha member from the state in March, 2012.

Apart from the inclusion of Chiranjeevi in the Union Cabinet, a couple of MPs from Telangana region are also likely to be included in order to strike a balance among the regions in the state.

The name of Anjan Kumar Yadav, the only MP from the Yadav community in South India, is doing the rounds as MoS.

The other likely member could be either Renuka Chowdhary (Rajya Sabha member) or V. Hanum-antha Rao (three time member of Rajya Sabha).

Due to a large presence of Madigas, a sub-sect in Sch-eduled Castes, the names of seven-term MP Nandi Yellaiah and two-term MP Sarve Satyanarayana are also doing the rounds.

There are 30 Cabinet ministers (including the Prime Minister), 7 MoS (Independent charge), and 32 MoS in Union Council of Ministers, taking the present strength to 69.

The maximum permissable strength of Union Council of Ministers is 81 (15 per cent of total membership of the Lok Sabha).

At present, there are three Cabinet ministers from the state, S. Jaipal Reddy, Kishore Chandra Deo and Jairam Ramesh (Rajya Sabha member elected from state) and three MoS — D. Pura-ndareswari, Panabaka Lakshmi and M. M. Pallam Raju, all belonging to coastal Andhra region.

With Mr Chiranjeevi, who belongs to the coastal Andhra region, slated to join as MoS (Independent charge), it is expected at least two more berths will be offered to leaders from Telangana region to strike a balance.