Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan is likely to be the deputy to N Chandrababu Naidu, who will take oath as Andhra Pradesh’s chief minister on Wednesday, according to sources. People aware of negotiations in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for ministerial posts said on Tuesday that Kalyan had expressed his interest in taking up the deputy CM post, and that Naidu had assured him of a “key role” in his cabinet.
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Naidu is scheduled to take oath at 11.27 am at Kesarapalli IT Park near Gannavaram Airport on the outskirts of Vijayawada on Wednesday. A day before that, the Telugu Desam Legislature Party and NDA partners elected Naidu as their leader in the state. Later on Tuesday, leaders of the NDA would meet Governor S Abdul Nazeer and stake claim to form government. There could be an invitation from the Governor to form the government by evening.
The NDA comprising the TDP, BJP and the Jana Sena won a landslide victory in the recently concluded simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the southern state with a brute majority of 164 Assembly and 21 Lok Sabha seats.
Along with Naidu, some more leaders are likely to be sworn in. The names doing the rounds are TDP general secretary and Naidu’s son Nara Lokesh and Jana Sena leader N Manohar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony.
Reviewing the arrangements for the ceremony, Chief Secretary Neerabh Kumar Prasad said the prime minister was expected to leave from Delhi for Gannavaram Airport at 8.20 am and arrive by 10.40 am on Wednesday.
Naidu first became the chief minister in 1995 and went on to have another two terms. His first two terms as chief minister were at the helm of united Andhra Pradesh, beginning in 1995 and ending in 2004, nine years at a stretchm while the third term came after the bifurcation of the state.
(With agency inputs)
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