Ministers to fete CM to keep Cabinet post

In a clever move, ministers in the Rosaiah Cabinet have decided to felicitate the Chief Minister on September 3 at a public function to mark his completion of one year in office.

Ministers whose continuation in the Cabinet is doubtful when the much talked about Cabinet reshuffle takes place, probably in September, as part of a total revamp of the party and government, are behind the move in order to stay in the good books of Mr Rosaiah.

Initially, the Chief Minister rejected the idea of any felicitation, saying it doesn’t look nice to celebrate such an event immediately after the first death anniversary of his predecessor, Dr Rajasekhar Reddy. The health minister, Mr Danam Nagender, then suggested that the celebration be converted to ‘Re-dedication Day’ - a day when the government re-dedicates itself to the people of the state. Mr Rosaiah found this acceptable.

It may be recalled that the annual re-dedication day of the Congress government could not be held on May 14 this year due to the flood situation in the state.

The felicitation event will also serve to refute allegations by YSR and Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy loyalists that the programmes launched by YSR are being ignored. Besides heaping praises on Mr Rosaiah, ministers will also take a pledge to implement the pro-poor agenda of YSR.