Mopidevi Venkata Ramana, Pilli Subhashchandra Bose quit; AP cabinet expansion on Wednesday

VIJAYAWADA: Ministers Pilli Subhashchandra Bose and Mopidevi Venkata Ramana, who have been elected to the Rajya Sabha, resigned on Monday, paving the way for expansion of state cabinet on July 22. Governor Biswabhushan Harichandran accepted the resignations with immediate effect.
Bose and Ramana are scheduled to take oath as members of Upper House on July 22. Industrialists Alla Ayodhya Rami Reddy and Parimal Nathwani, the other two YSRC RS members from the state, are also expected to take oath on Wednesday.
Sources said Palasa MLA Sidiri Appala Raju and Ramachandrapuram MLA Chelluboyina Srinivasa Venugopal are likely to be inducted into the cabinet.
Though there were several aspirants for the two vacancies, chief minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy favoured the two "based on their performance" both in the assembly and outside during the last one year, the sources added.
Meanwhile, the chief minister has also cleared the names of two candidates to fill the vacancies in the legislative council. Former Amalapuram MP P Ravindra Babu and Zakiya Khanum from Kadapa are the two nominated candidates.
While Ravindra Babu joined the YSRC just before the 2019 elections, the family of Khanum has been loyal to the YS family for years.