Naidu’s berth pangs, Ganta pins hopes to be Dy CM

By SNV Sudhir

 Visakhapatnam, May 19, 2014:  After poll results, focus has now shifted on who gets what in N Chandrababu Naidu’s new cabinet. Cabinet berth allocation to Vizag TD MLAs has generated more interest now than the results.  The fireworks are to subside even after poll results are out in Vizag.

It’s not going to be an easy task for Naidu in Vizag whether to pick former ministers Ganta Srinivas Rao, Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy or Ch Ayyana Patrudu.  BJP MLA from Vizag North, P Vishukumar Raju is also aspiring to get a place in the state cabinet in lieu of berths in union cabinet if TD MPs were given chance to be the part of the government.

All the four are strong aspirants for cabinet berths. With, the strength of the cabinet shrunk due to the state bifurcation, it would be interesting to see if Naidu would give cabinet berths to four persons from one district.       

It’s an open secret about rivalry between Ganta Srinivas Rao and Ayyana Patrudu. Ayyana never missed a chance to take a jibe at Rao and both never see eye to eye. While Ganta Srinivas, was ports and infrastructure minister in the Congress government and later rejoined TD before polls, both Ayyana Patrudu and Bandaru Satyanarayan Murthy were ministers when, Naidu was chief minister between 1995 and 2004.

 Ganta Srinivas Rao is said to be aspiring to be the deputy chief minister pinning hopes on the announcement made by Naidu during poll campaigning that, Kapu and Yadava communities would get one deputy chief minister post each.

In fact, Ganta camp members were upbeat, after the announcement and campaigned in Bheemili saying, elect him to see him as deputy chief minister and he brings development in the constituency using his clout being in higher position. They are also of the opinion that there was no any other Kapu heavyweight among the TD MLAs who can stake claim on Dy CM chair.

“There is no doubt that Ganta Srinivas is the only person who can be the deputy chief minister. There is no any other Kapu MLA in the party of that stature. And we are hopeful that, he will get the chair. If he is given the post it will be advantage for the party to keep the kapu flock together and intact,” said a Ganta camp insider.

It remains to be seen if Naidu will accommodate them in the cabinet and opens a turf war in the district.