Andhra CM expands cabinet to induct son and 10 others
- Chief Minister Naidu dropped five ministers to adjust the defectors from YSCR.
- His only son, Lokesh, also has been inducted into the cabinet.
FollowChief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's son Nara Lokesh, four MLAs of the opposition YSRC who switched loyalty to the ruling TDP-BJP coalition, and six others were on Sunday inducted into the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet.
Five incumbent ministers were dropped in the only major reorganisation of the state Council of Ministers since the government was formed on June 8, 2014.
The strength of the AP Cabinet has now increased to 26. Governor ESL Narasimhan administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers at a function near the state government's transitional headquarters at Velagapudi. Nara Lokesh was elected to the state Legislative Council under the MLAs' quota last month.
Lokesh, who is a graduate from Stanford Business School is the General Secretary of TDP and the only son of Naidu. The 34-year-old was elected to the state legislative council in March. He touched the feet of his father and the Governor to take their blessings after taking the oath.
Veteran Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and state unit president K Kala Venkata Rao was inducted into the Cabinet while his sister-in-law Kimidi Mrinalini was dropped.
The four YSRC MLAs who were sworn-in as ministers included R V Sujay Krishna Rao, Bhuma Akhila Priya, Ch Adinarayana Reddy and N Amarnatha Reddy. From the TDP, Pithani Satyanarayana, Nakka Ananda Babu, Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, Kalva Srinivasulu and Kothapalli Samuel Jawahar got Cabinet berths.
