Hyderabad, October 5
In a move loaded with political message, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah today formally entered the Chief Minister’s office at the state Secretariat here.
The septuagenarian Congress veteran, who took over the reins of the state after the death of YS Rajasekhara Reddy on September 3, had been functioning from his old chamber of finance minister in the adjacent block. He held finance portfolio in the YSR cabinet.
Widely seen as a stop-gap arrangement in the wake of a vociferous campaign to anoint YSR’s son YS Jaganmohan Reddy as the Chief Minister, Rosaiah preferred to work from his old office in ‘D’ block and had often parried questions over his shifting to the Chief Minister’s office in the ‘C’ block, saying he would be guided by the party high command’s advice.
For nearly a month, marked by political uncertainty, Rosaiah, a dyed-in-the-wool Congressman known for his modesty and simplicity, discharged his duties from his old office. His entry into Samatha block, housing CM’s office, is a clear signal that the 76-year-old veteran is here to stay. The high command has made it amply clear that it wants the status quo to continue and asked the Jagan camp to cooperate with the CM.
