According to highly placed sources, at least two ministers belonging to the Reddy community will be dropped and a few others shifted to less important portfolios in order to bring about some caste balance in the Kiran Kumar cabinet. BC leader and transport minister Botsa Satyanarayana, who had met Congress president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi two days ago before his name was announced for the PCC president post, was given the indication from the party chief that a cabinet revamp is in order in the state.

The cabinet reshuffle will take place after the return of AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad from his foreign tour. "The reshuffle will send two Reddy ministers out of the cabinet and bring in 2 to 4 BC MLAs as ministers. Four BC ministers will get revenue, agriculture, irrigation and municipal administration portfolios and Reddys who are now holding them will be demoted to less-important portfolios," the sources said. The change of caste combination was approved by Sonia after Azad reported that there is much heartburn among the BC leaders over the way Kiran Kumar built his team giving prime posts to members of the community.

In the list of omission are infrastructure minister Komatireddi Venkata Reddy and cooperation minister Kasu Venkata Krishna Reddy. While the former is the second Reddy from Nalgonda district to be accommodated in the Kiran cabinet, the latter is said to have embarrassed the high command by allowing his son to move with YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy. From Nalgonda, another BC or ST MLA will get berth along with K Jana Reddy who is holding the panchayat raj portfolio now. Ch Lingaiah from Nakrekal or Bikshamaih Goud from Alair are in the race. It was also decided to give two berths to MLAs elected on Prajarajyam party ticket. In all probability, it will be Ganta Srinivasa Rao and C Ramachandraiah who will make it to the cabinet from the PRP. Another senior leader, Vanga Geeta, will be offered the government whip post, the sources said.