The latest order issued by YSR Congress president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy extending the term of four of his key advisors by one more year has led to the talk whether all the other advisors would also get similar extension.
The four advisors who got the extension of their term -- Talasila Raghuram, Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, Ajeya Kallam and G V D Krishna Mohan – are hardcore loyalists of Jagan, who acknowledged their “good work’ for continuing in the posts.
There are at least around 30 advisors to the chief minister, drawn from various fields and each of them was given the cabinet rank with salary and perks amounting to nearly Rs 4 lakh per month, besides all the paraphernalia.
Many of them played a key role in the YSRC for several years and helped the party win the elections in various ways. There were some others whose services were required for the state because of their expertise in their respective fields.
Initially, it was proposed to fix their tenure to be co-terminus with that of the chief minister; which means they will continue as long as Jagan remains in power.
But a few months later, revised orders were issued fixing their term to a period of two years with Jagan keeping the option of giving them extension depending on their work and requirement of the government.
Now, the question is how many of the remaining advisors, who were appointed in 2019, will get extension.
Those who are non-controversial and loyal to Jagan might get extension without any hassle, but it is learnt Jagan is not happy with a few others who failed to their job when their services are badly required.
We are not speculating any names, but reliable sources said at least half a dozen advisors might not get extension. And Jagan might not fill the vacancies again because he wants to cut down the burden on the state exchequer.
