Cong MPs sulk over AP''s less representation in Union Cabinet

Hyderabad, Jan 20 (PTI) Few Congress MPs from AndhraPradesh are apparently upset over the state being kept out ofthe Union Cabinet reshuffle and hoped that the partyleadership would consider them the next time when it takesplace after the Budget session of the Parliament.

"Andhra Pradesh has given 33 Lok Sabha members to theCongress. Cabinet berths should be given in accordance withthat. The Central government stands on the strength of APCongress MPs. In neighbouring Karnataka, they have less MPsbut better representation in the Cabinet," Congress Lok Sabhamember M Jagannadham said in Delhi.

He said the party MPs would bring the matter to thenotice of the high command.

Jagannadham, who belongs to Telangana, felt that theearlier remarks of the MPs from the region that they wouldquit their posts for the sake of the separate statehoodagitation could have gone against them.

He cautioned that Telugu Desam, which always tried tochampion the cause of Telugu pride, and former Congress MP Y SJagan Mohan Reddy, who is also highlighting the cause ofTelugu self-respect, would try to take advantage of thesituation now.

While Jagannadham and R Sambasiva Rao, Lok Sabha memberfrom Guntur in coastal Andhra, were more open about theirviews, other MPs like T Subbarami Reddy and V Kishore ChandraDeo expressed confidence that the state would get more berthsin the next reshuffle.

"Andhra Pradesh has contributed 33 MPs for Congress.

Kerala has 16 MPs and there are six ministers. Karnataka hassix MPs and there are four ministers. It shows that Congresshas no respect for Andhra Pradesh and MPs from the state. Thiswill hurt the party," Sambasiva Rao said in the nationalcapital. .

"There are various things that are considered for Cabinet expansion. It is right that more berths should have been givento Andhra Pradesh but I am confident that justice would bedone in the next Cabinet expansion after the Budget session,"Subbarami Reddy said.

Andhra Pradesh is currently represented in the UnionCabinet by Petroleum Minister S Jaipal Reddy, and Ministers ofState D Purandeswari, M M Pallam Raju, Panabaka Lakshmi and ASai Prathap.

The party MPs from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regionsare scheduled to have a meeting with top leaders like PranabMukherjee today to discuss the Telangana issue and they areexpected to raise the issue of AP being kept out of theCabinet rejig in the talks.