Naidu doing balancing act

TDP chief and Chief Minister-designate Chandrababu Naidu is busy finalising the list of ministers for the TDP-led NDA cabinet in Andhra Pradesh. Naidu will take the oath of office on June 12, along with the new cabinet ministers.
After returning from Delhi to his residence in Undavalli on Monday, Naidu held a series of meetings with party leaders and allies to decide the coalition government’s composition.
He has already had several rounds of discussions with Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan and BJP leaders to finalise his ministerial team. Senior party leaders and legislators were eagerly awaiting Naidu’s decisions even before his arrival.
Sources indicate that selecting cabinet ministers has been a Herculean task for Naidu, as he needs to balance representation from three major castes while prioritising Backward Classes (BCs). The alliance aims to include senior leaders and youth in the cabinet. Jana Sena Party (JSP) chief Pawan Kalyan, who was not considered for the union cabinet, is expected to secure three ministerial berths, including the Deputy CM post.
Potential candidates for ministerial positions include Nadendla Manohar, Mandali Buddha Prasad, Konatala Ramakrishna, Arani Srinivasulu, Bolishetti Srinivas, and Lokam Naga Madhvi. From the BJP, Sujana Chowdary and Kamineni Srinivas are likely to be included, emphasising the importance of allies.
The cabinet will be formed considering the 25 parliamentary constituencies, excluding positions such as Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Chief Whip (cabinet rank), and 4-5 Whip posts (state minister rank), totalling 32 or 33 posts. The selection process will prioritize factors like caste, region, seniority, youth, honesty, loyalty, and more.
From the TDP, probable candidates from the OC community include Paritala Sunitha, BC Janardhan Reddy, P Narayana, Vemireddy Prashanthi Reddy, Reddappagari Madhivi Reddy, Gottipati Ravi Kumar, Chintakayala Ayyanna Patrudu, Nimakayalu Chinarajappa, Nimmala Ramanaidu, Amarnath Reddy, Kalva Srinivasulu, Velagapudi Ramakrish Babu, and V Gogeswara Rao. Anam Ramnarayana Reddy or Butchaiah Chaudhary are being considered for the Speaker role.
For the BC communities, candidates from Velama, Turpukapu, Yadav, fishermen, Gavara, and Kalinga social groups are likely to be included. Senior politician Kimidi Kala Venkatarao, K Atchannaidu, Kuna Ravi Kumar or Bendalam Ashok, Palla Srinivas Rao, and Vanamadi Venkateswara Rao are potential candidates.
Vangalapudi Anitha, S Balaveeranjaneya Swamy, M Venkateswara Rao, and Nakka Anand Babu are likely to get berths from the TDP under the SC category.
Naidu is set to be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for the fourth time. The oath-taking ceremony will be held at 11:27 am on June 12 near Gannavaram. The newly-elected MLAs of the TDP will meet at the party headquarters in Mangalagiri on June 11 to elect Naidu as the legislature party leader, with the resolution to be sent to Governor S Abdul Nazeer the same evening.