As KCR Takes Oath as Telangana Chief Minister, Controversy Over His Cabinet

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Hyderabad:  As K Chandrasekhar Rao, the first chief minister of Telangana, India’s 29th state, took oath of office early on Monday morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted him on Twitter and promised the Centre’s “complete support” in taking the “state to newer heights of progress.” (PM Narendra Modi Welcomes Telangana as 29th State)

Celebrations had begun hours earlier when at midnight, Andhra Pradesh was officially bifurcated to create Telangana. (Complete Coverage | Live Blog)

Mr Rao was sworn in along with 11 ministers in the presence of enthusiastic workers of his party, theTelangana Rashtra Samithi and several VIPs. However, Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu, who will be chief minister of the residual Andhra Pradesh, did not attend. (Telangana is Born: A Timeline)

That was not the only detail which caused eyebrows to be raised. Of Mr Rao’s 11 ministers, two are members of his family – his son KT Rama Rao and nephew T Harish Rao – and there are no women.

KCR’s ministry also has four Reddys, three members of other backward classes or the OBCs, a Muslim and a Dalit.

The inclusion of his son and nephew and what is being seen as a skewed social representation in his ministry exposed the new chief minister to charges of nepotism. His son, who will be a Cabinet ranked minister said, “Definitely it is a criticism, and we will have to silence them with our performance.”

Mr Rao Jr, who is popularly called KTR, also said, “Don’t judge us too early. The full-fledged strength (of the cabinet) is 18. An expansion will take place and all issues will be addressed.”…

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