39-member Andhra Pradesh Cabinet sworn-in

HYDERABAD - The new Andhra Pradesh Cabinet under Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy was sworn in on Wednesday by the Governor, E. S. L. Narasimhan.

As expected, two Jaganmohan Reddy loyalists Balineni Srinivasa Reddy and Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose were axed while Kiran Kumar’s bitter rival in Chittoor district, P R Reddy, was also shown the door.

Eleven new faces, including seven debutants, were among those inducted.

Jagan’s uncle Vivekananda Reddy was also inducted into the Cabinet. Shankar Rao, a legislator from Hyderabad, and D.L. Ravinder Reddy of Kadapa district were among the new faces.

K. Jana Reddy, who was Home Minister in YSR’s earlier cabinet (2004-09), returned to the cabinet. However, another senior leader, J.C. Diwakar Reddy, who was expected to make a comeback, was not inducted.

Mohammed Ahmedullah remains the lone Muslim minister in the Cabinet.

The prominent ministers who were retained include Dharmana Prasad Rao, Botsa Satyanarayana, Raghuveera Reddy, P. Lakshma Reddy, G. Aruna Kumari, S. Vijayrama Raju and J. Geeta Reddy.

Kiran Reddy, 50, is one of the youngest Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh.

Reddy represents the Pileru Assembly constituency in Chittoor and is also a four-time member of the State Assembly. (ANI)