YSR Congress Party president and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is all set to revamp his council of Ministers on April 11.
Sources indicate that the Chief Minister intends to dissolve the Cabinet on April 7 and, except two or three ministers in the present Cabinet, he is likely to drop all others and replace them with new faces.
It is being said that he will will seek resignations of the Ministers at the all-important Cabinet meeting scheduled for April 7 and will meet Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan on April 8 with the list of the new Ministers.
The Governor will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the new set of Ministers at 11.31 a.m. on April 11. Mr. Jagan had announced while forming the first Cabinet in 2019 that its term would be only two and half years as he would revamp it with new faces.
While the impending changes in the Cabinet has generated a lot of interest among all sections and reports of a few Ministers’ unhappiness over their probable removal have been doing rounds, some of the present Ministers sought to quell such reports saying they would be only too happy to make way for the new faces.
Minister for Transport and Cinematography Perni Venkataramaiah (Nani), addressing a meeting of the Bus and Car Operators’ Confederation of India, said he may be addressing his last meeting in the capacity of the Transport Minister but nonetheless, he would continue to contribute to the cause of the bus operators by extending his full support to whoever fills his shoes.
Education Minister Audimulapu Suresh, when asked for his response, said the Chief Minister will take the decision on who will stay in the new Cabinet. Brushing aside reports of ‘unhappiness’, he said: “There is no such question as the Chief Minister had made it clear well in advance that new faces would be inducted. In fact we are ready to serve the party with renewed enthusiasm.”
Minister for Social Welfare Pinepe Swaroop said if the Chief Minister wanted so, he was “ready to tender resignation right away”. “We are hopeful that the new team will work better than us and we recognise our responsibility to strengthen the party, regardless of in or out of any post,” he said.
It may be recalled here that the Chief Minister had made it clear that those being removed from the posts of Ministers would be entrusted with party responsibilities. He has also asked his party MLAs to undertake door-to-door visits from now on.
