Kiran Reddy meets Sonia, PM on cabinet expansion, Jagan

NEW DELHI - Newly-appointed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy met Congress party president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here Saturday and discussed with them the latest political situation and party affairs in the state.

Reddy consulted Gandhi on the final list of members to be included in the cabinet Sunday, as the state assembly is scheduled to begin its session Monday, according to Congress sources.

The chief minister held a 30-minute meeting with Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence around 10.30 in the morning, party sources said.

The trouble in the state party unit, in the wake of the group activities by Kadapa Lok Sabha member Jaganmohan Reddy, also came up for discussions, the sources said. Jaganmohan is the son of the late chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who died in a helicopter crash last year.

The Jagan-owned Sakshi TV has of late aired criticism of the Congress high command - Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. After the Bihar poll results were out, it aired a programme criticising Rahul Gandhi over the party’s defeat in the elections.

The chief minister met Manmohan Singh at his 7, Race Course Road residence for 20 minutes, an official in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) told IANS.

“It was basically a courtesy call by Reddy after assuming the new office. Of course, developmental matters would have been generally discussed,” the official said.

Reddy is also to meet other senior ministers, including Home Minister P. Chidambaram, Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Urban Development Minister S. Jaipal Reddy, an Andhra Bhawan official said.

He is likely to discuss the situation in the tension-ridden Telangana region with Chidambaram, sources said.

During the meeting with Moily, who is also the AICC general secretary in charge of the party’s affairs in Andhra Pradesh, Reddy will give final touches to the ministerial list, Congress sources told IANS.

Reddy was sworn in the chief minister Thursday, after K. Rosaiah resigned from the post Wednesday citing health reasons.