Hyderabad, June 2 (IANS): Mohammed Mahmood Ali and T. Rajaiah have been appointed as deputy chief ministers of Telangana, which Monday came into being as India's 29th state.
Ali and Rajaiah were among 11 cabinet ministers who were sworn in earlier in the day along with Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhara Rao.
KCR, as Rao is popularly known, has fulfilled his promise to make a Muslim the deputy chief minister. He has also made a Dalit his deputy to counter criticism by his political rivals that he has gone back on his word to make a Dalit as the first chief minister of Telangana.
Ali, who hails from Hyderabad, is a member of the legislative council. A top leader of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), he is the most popular Muslim face in the party. He will hold the portfolios of revenue, relief, rehabilitation, stamps and registration.
Rajaiah, a member of the assembly from Station Ghanpur in Warangal district, will look after medical affairs and health.
According to an official release, N. Narasimha Reddy will be the first home minister of Telangana. Hailing from Hyderabad, he is not a member of the assembly and is likely to be nominated to the legislative council.
Senior TRS leader E. Rajender has been allotted the finance portfolio.
KCR has given panchayat raj and information technology portfolios to his son K. Taraka Rama Rao and irrigation to his nephew Harish Rao.
P. Srinivas Reddy will hold agriculture, T. Padma Rao excise, P. Mahender Reddy transport, Jogu Ramanna forests and environment and G. Jagadish Reddy education.