Eyeing cabinet berths for his MPs, Chandrababu Naidu meets Modi

New Delhi, May 25: Telugu Desam Party President N

met Prime Minister-designate

and other top BJP leaders in New Delhi today to decide on the Union Cabinet berths for his party's Members of Parliament.

The TDP hoped to secure at least four berths in Narendra Modi's Cabinet but the list of aspirants appears to be long. The party has six MPs in Rajya Sabha, including two from Telangana, and 16 have been elected to Lok Sabha this time. Of the 16, only one is from Telangana.

On Monday, Naidu will attend the swearing-in ceremony of Modi and return to Hyderabad, TDP sources said today.

As many as 12 of the 16 MPs will be making their debut in Parliament though three of them -- J C Diwakar Reddy, P Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Thota Narasimham -- have rich experience as Members of Legislative Assembly and state ministers.

The TDP hopes to secure at least four berths in Narendra Modi's Cabinet

Reddy and Narasimham had joined the TDP only on the eve of the elections while Raju is a party veteran and six-time legislator.

Going by his seniority as a legislator and command over parliamentary affairs, Raju could be a front-runner for a Cabinet berth, party sources said.

Five-time MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao could not realise his dream of becoming a Union minister in all his years in the Congress.

He joined TDP on the eve of the Lok Sabha elections and won a sixth term in Parliament.

"It is for Naidu to take a call," Rayapati remarked, when asked about his chances of making it to the Union Cabinet.

He, however, may have competition with BJP's Kambhampati Haribabu as both belong to the same community.

Chittoor MP N Siva Prasad, who has been elected for the second consecutive term, may be TDP's choice under the Dalit quota and be made a Minister of State. He had previously served as a minister in the Chandrababu Naidu government.

PTI