YSR's 34 ministers take fresh oath

Putting an end to the constitutional and legal debate whether a council of minister continues to hold the office after the death of the incumbent chief minister, all the 34 ministers, including loyalists of YS Rajasekhara Reddy, took fresh oath on Sunday afternoon.

Governor N D Tiwari administered the collective oath to all ministers, including six women, in the Durbar Hall at a simple ceremony sans the usual fanfare. A somber mood prevailed as the tragic death of the Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was fresh in the minds of those taking oath for a second time in less than four months.

The oath also ended speculations and uncertainties that many YSR-loyalists, who were demanding his son to be made the chief minister, will not take oath under Rosaiah. Many ministers like N Raghuveera Reddy, Anam Ramnarayana Reddy, Venkatramanna, Vatti Vasantha Kumar and D Nagendra who were in the forefront of the pro Jagan campaign, took the oath but unhappiness and disappointment was writ large on their faces.

In fact, one minister -- Mohammed Ahmadullah -- who hails form Kadapa had said that he would resign if any one else other than Jagan is made the chief minister but he too turned up to take the oath.

With the death of YSR, the strength of the council of minister has now come down to 35.

While Rosaiah will continue to hold the finance portfolio, all other ministers will also retain their respective portfolios.

Sources said that the recalcitrant ministers backed off from their threat to stay away from the ceremony after the high command sent clear message that such an attitude will not be brooked.

It was obvious that the fresh oath was not only aimed at meeting a constitutional necessity but it was also to send a clear message that everybody will have to abide by the high command's decision.

All India Congress Committee General Secretary Digvijay Singh who arrived in Hyderabad on Sunday had a meeting with YSR's close friend and advisor KVP Ramachandra Rao and advised him to persuade all the ministers to join the cabinet under Rosaiah and take oath.

Later, Ramachandra Rao called a meeting of YSR-loyalist ministers and urged them to take the oath saying it will not have an impact on the issue of leadership and making Jagan Mohan Reddy the next chief minister.

Such were the apprehensions of some trouble during the oath ceremony that for the first time the press was kept out of Raj Bhavan and only a live feed was provided to all the television channels by the government.

The time for the oath ceremony was decided on Sunday morning by officials of Raj Bhavan and General Administration Department after both the chief minister and the governor held consultations with the legal and constitutional experts in Hyderabad and at the national level.

Convinced of a constitutional necessity for a fresh oath, the governor invited the Chief Minister K Rosaiah to have his council of ministers take oath.