Naidu suggests Y S Chowdary's name for cabinet post

PM Narendra Modi is expanding his cabinet on Sunday

Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telugu Desam party supremo N Chandrababu Naidu today revealed that he has recommended party MP Y S Chowdary's name for the Cabinet position offered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

 

"Yes, the Prime Minister spoke to me and said he was planning to give one MoS (Minister of State) to my party," Naidu told reporters. Modi is expanding his cabinet on Sunday.

 

Naidu said he had suggested the names of Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Chowdary while government foramtion in May. Raju currently holds the Civil Aviation portfolio in Modi cabinet. With the government offering another berth, Chowdary's name was the obvious choice, he says, adding that the portfolio will be chosen by the PM. 

 

"If they offer a third ministry to our party, then we would think of a name from Telangana," he said.

 

Chowdary, who was made Rajya Sabha member in 2010, is the founder and chairman of Sujana Group, a $2-billion diversified industrial house with interests in steel, telecom and power and urban infrastructure in addition to precision engineering and home appliances business, according to the company website.

 

Born in 1961 in Kanchikacharla of Krishna District , Chowdary became close to Naidu when he was out of power and is said to have had played a key role in the party especially on financial matters. During this period, Rajasekhara Reddy government  had clamped  a tax evasion cases against Sujana group.