The move is aimed at cutting to size former chief minister’s rebel son Jagan Mohan.
To rein in YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, disgruntled Kadapa MP and son of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister (CM) YS Rajasekhara (YSR) Reddy, new CM N Kiran Kumar Reddy has decided to boot out at least half-a-dozen YSR men who are government advisors.
“I have asked the chief secretary [SV Prasad] to seek resignations of the advisors,” he said in New Delhi on Sunday.
The advisors, who have been in the government since 2004, assisted YSR in shaping policies and concluding several key decisions of the government. Even after his death in a helicopter crash in September 2009, they continued to play a key role. They were so strong that former CM K Rosaiah had no option but to continue with them.
Being YSR appointees and aides for decades, the advisors also had the blessings of the Congress high command despite the opposition calling them extra-constitutional powers granting a final approval to every single state government file.
YSR’s childhood friend KVP Ramachandra Rao is among the advisors who may be ousted. It is believed that Rao played a key role in every important appointment and posting in the state, including those of bureaucrats. Projects worth thousands of crores would also need his nod.
However, Rao was subsequently nominated to Rajya Sabha and made chairman of the committee on public security.
CC Reddy (agriculture), Somayajulu (economy), CS Rao (information technology), Peter Hassan (investment), Stanley Babu (railway projects) and another three advisors-turned-bureaucrats in the irrigation department are also facing the axe.
Responding to a call by the chief minister, Ramachandra Rao and Peter Hassan are believed to have resigned late on Sunday. But the others continue to hold posts.
All the advisors were either friends or close associates of YSR.
They had stayed with him even when he was opposition leader in the Andhra assembly.
“The decision to send away the advisors is a major indicator to the high command’s thoughts on handling the Jagan factor. Though there is still no clarity if Jagan would face extreme action, the new cabinet of ministers will shed some light on what the high command is thinking,” a source said.
Meanwhile, Kiran Reddy, who is camping in New Delhi to finalise ministers, said his cabinet would be put in place by Wednesday.
“The new ministers will be sworn in on Wednesday,” he said.
The high command has also agreed to nominate a Telangana Congressman to the post of deputy chief minister. According to sources, the new cabinet would have about 30 ministers and at least 10 to 12 of them would be fresh faces.
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