MUNI THE BOSS

Kiran Kumar Reddy was sworn-in as the 16th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on Thursday.


Governor E S L Narasimhan administered the oath of office and secrecy to 50-year-old Kiran Kumar Reddy.


Union Ministers and party observers M Veerappa Moily, Ghulam Nabi Azad, outgoing Chief Minister Rosaiah and a host of Congress leaders, MLAs and MLCs attended the brief swearing-in ceremony in the Darbar Hall of Raj Bhavan.





The Council of Ministers is expected to be reconstituted after he holds consultations with the Congress high command, party sources said.


Reddy, a YSR loyalist and former Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker was chosen as the leader of Congress Legislature Party in place of K Rosaiah who resigned from the Chief Minister's post on Wednesday.


50-year-old Reddy who hails from Rayalaseema region will have his task cut out.


His appointment is seen as Congress' political management ahead of the submission of the report by December 31 on the sensitive separate statehood issue by the Justice B N Srikrishna panel.


But the biggest challenge for Kiran Kumar Reddy could be his mentor the late YSR Reddy's son Jagan Mohan Reddy.


The late Chief Minister's son has made no secret of his ambition to be Chief Minister - but Kiran Kumar Reddy's robust performance as Speaker and his influence in Rayalaseema seems to have ensured he got the top job.


(With PTI inputs)