Nallari Kiran?Reddy takes oath as new Andhra?CM

Thursday 25 November, 2010.



Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy, a YSR loyalist, was?on Thursday sworn-in as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, capping hectic political developments that saw the exit of K Rosaiahfrom the post.
Governor E S L Narasimhan administered theoath of office and secrecy only to 50-year-old Kiran Kumar Reddy, hitherto Speaker, who was chosen late Wednesday night as the leader of Congress Legislature Party in place of Rosaiah.
The 77-year-old Congress veteran had made a surprise exit from the post on Wednesday in the midst of rebellion by YSR's son Jaganmohan Reddy. Jagan's media outlets had launched attacks on Sonia Gandhi and the party that had raised the hackles of the high command.
The move is also being seen as Congress' political management ahead of the submission of the Srikrishna panel report on the issue of Telangana by 31st December.
Union Ministers and party observers M Veerappa Moily, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Rosaiah and a host of Congress leaders, MLAs and MLCs attended the brief swearing-in ceremony in the Darbar Hall of Raj Bhavan.
With Kiran Kumar Reddy, a four-time MLA, alone taking, the Council of Ministers is expected to be reconstituted after he holds consultations with the Congress high command, party sources said.
The new Chief Minister is expected to leave for New Delhi later in the day to call on AICC president Sonia Gandhi, who chose him for the job after being authorised by the CLP. Hewould also meet other top leaders of the AICC in New Delhi, party sources said.
Earlier in the day, former ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs and several Congress leaders metKiran Kumar at his Banjara Hills residence and congratulated him.
State Chief Secretary S V Prasad and DirectorGeneral of Police K Aravinda Rao led the bureaucrats in greeting the new Chief Minister.
Rosaiah, the stop-gap Chief Minister who took over in the aftermath of YSR's death in September last year, had resigned citing personal reasons.
Kiran Reddy, who hails from Rayalaseema region, was elected from Pileru constituency in Chittoor district.
Son of late Congress leader Amarnatha Reddy, who was the political guru of TDP chief Naidu, Reddy graduated from the Nizam College in Hyderabad and later studied law. Amarnatha Reddy was considered close to the late Indira Gandhi and P V Narasimha Rao.
An avid cricketer during his college days and a batchmate of former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin, Reddy has represented Hyderabad in the Ranji Trophy. He went on to captain Osmania University's cricket team.
Kiran was first elected to the state assemblyfrom Vayalpadu constituency in Chittoor district in 1989 but the lost the election in 1994.
In 1999 and 2004, he was elected successively from the same constituency. Hehad to shift to Pileru constituency in 2009 because of delimitation.
Though he aspired to become a Minister in YSR's cabinet in 2009, he could not be accommodated because of political equations in Chittoor district and hence he was made Speaker of the Assembly.
After K Rosaiah became the Chief Minister inSeptember 2009, Kiran had again aspired tobecome the minister but the cabinet expansion never took place.