Heartburn in AP as PM picks only six

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh, which has been steadfastly backing Congress in the past two elections, could manage only six ministerial berths in Manmohan Singh���s council of ministers. The exercise , which rewarded under-performing states in the hope of reviving Congress��� fortunes, has come as a dampner for the AP Congress.

While chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, who recaptured power in Hyderabad and sent 33 MPs to Lok Sabha was unruffled as he left for a pilgrimage with his family to Bethlehem on Wednesday, several ministerial aspirants said Andhra Pradesh got a raw deal.

The state���s quota in the council of ministers remained unchanged at six. This includes Rajya Sabha nominee from Andhra Pradesh Jairam Ramesh, who will be a minister of state with independent charge.

Former urban development minister Jaipal Reddy, who won the Lok Sabha seat from Chevella in Telangana is the only Cabinet minister from AP. Four MPs ��� D Purandeswari , Panabaka Lakshmi, A Sai Pratap and MM Pallam Raju ��� will be ministers of state.

The surprise entrant is A Sai Pratap, a sixth-time MP from the Balija community . He won from Rajampet in Kapada, the home district of YSR and is known to be his close aide. He could make it since the former minister of state for woman and child welfare Renuka Choudhury lost from Khammam this time.

D Purandeshwari, daughter of late chief minister and Telugu Desam Party founder N T Rama Rao, won from Vizagh . Ms Purdeshwari was minister of state in the human resources ministry during her earlier stint. The PM has chosen to retain her, but sans an elevation.

So is the case for D Pallam Raju, minister of state for defence, who was elected from Kakinada. Mr Pallam Raju, who is a Kapu, has also been retained only as minister of state.
Panaba Lakhsmi, who belongs to a scheduled caste, won from Bapatla in the Andhra region. She will also continue as minister of state in her second stint.