New Delhi, Dec 30: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy today indicated that legislators of actor Chiranjeevi's PRP would be inducted into the Cabinet after the party is recogmised as part of the Congress in the state Assembly.
However, he refused a direct answer to questions on when he would go for a cabinet expansion, saying it will be carried out as and when the need arises.
“Praja Rajyam (PRP) is still recongised as a separate party in Assembly, though they have merged with Congress. The formalities will take time. We have to wait till the party legislators are recognised as part of Congress,” he told a press conference here.
Reddy was responding to a question on when legislators of the PRP, which actually saved the Government during the no-confidence motion moved by TDP in Assembly earlier this month, would be inducted into Cabinet.
Praja Rajyam Party, which has merged with Congress, has 18 MLAs and is still recognised as a separate party in the 294-member state Assembly.
His comments came after a meeting with Congress President Sonia Gandhi, her political secretary Ahmed Patel and General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad.
During the meeting, strategy to be adopted by Congress during the by-elections to seven assembly seats and other issues of political significance are understood to have been discussed.
On TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao's threat that the separate statehood agitation would be intensified in January and he was ready to take up a fast-unto-death again, Reddy said: “We are not frigthened of threats nor do we take congnisance of them. We will do our duty.” On the Telangana statehood issue, Reddy said the Centre and the High Command are seized of the matter and they would take a decision.
The speculation about a cabinet expansion gained momentum after his government won a no-confidence motion moved by Opposition Telugu Desam Party earlier this month.
With Congress deciding to seek disqualification of 16 MLAs who voted against the government, the number of constituencies that will go to by-polls will increase if the Assembly Speaker disqualifies the legislators.
Reddy parried a question on reports that he was not in favour of a cabinet expansion before the by-elections.
