Bandaru Dattatreya, Sujana Chowdary expecting berth in Modi's cabinet expansion

Hyderabad: BJP MP from Secunderabad Bandaru Dattatreya and TD Rajya Sabha member Sujana Chowdary might be inducted into the Central Cabinet in the upcoming reshuffle.

The sole BJP MP in Telangana, Mr Dattatreya is a four-time Lok Sabha member and has also been a Union minister of state in the Vajpayee Cabinet. Incidentally the new state of Telangana does not have a single representative in the present Union Cabinet.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has faced criticism, particularly from TRS leaders, for omitting Mr Dattatreya from his Cabinet.

However, Mr Modi will be weighing the pros and cons of inducting Mr Dattatreya.

It had been said earlier that Mr Dattatreya, who is now 68 year, was not considered initially due to the age factor that had been imposed by the Prime Minister who did not want anyone above 65 in his Cabinet.

Mr Ram Vilas Paswan, 67, and Ms Najma Hepthulla, 74, who were inducted into the Union Cabinet despite their age, disproved the theory that old members would not be inducted.

Meanwhile, TD circles are jubilant over the possible induction of another party leader into the Modi Cabinet after Mr Ashok Gajapathi Raju, who is presently the minister for civil aviation.

Mr Modi’s call to AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who was in Delhi, on Thursday afternoon also fuelled the speculations.

Sources close to the TD Parliamentary Party said that Mr Naidu wanted two berths this time, one each for Telangana and AP.

Telugu Desam has one Lok Sabha member and three Rajya Sabha members from Telangana and Mr Naidu reportedly conveyed to the PM that if he was not taking Mr Dattatreya from Telangana, one berth could be spared for a Telugu Desam MP.

Though Mr Venkaiah Naidu has been elected as an MP from Karnataka, he is being considered as a minister representing AP. Similarly Ms Nirmala Sitharaman, who was representing the Union Cabinet as Minister of State (Independent Charge) from AP, was subsequently elected from the state.

“There cannot be another BJP man from AP in the Union Cabinet expansion since it is over represented,” said a BJP senior Leader.

It is thus likely that the second berth for TD may again be from AP with TD Parliamentary Party leader and close associate of Mr Naidu, Mr Sujana Chowdary, staking claim.

TD sources added that if TD gets two berths apart from Mr Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Rayalaseema Rajya Sabha member Mr C.M. Ramesh might get a chance along with Mr Sujana Chowdary.