New Delhi, Feb 5: The Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has in an unusual manner met party Chief Sonia Gandhi in a secret operation, avoiding the prying eyes of the media and is said to have got clearance to a mini-expansion of his cabinet.

The Chief Minister who has arrived here canceling his already scheduled state tour, amid speculations that he would give one more trial for cabinet expansion and if possible, a reshuffle, has done a top secret operation this time around.

The Chief Minister has gone to the house of Sonia Gandhi’s political adviser Ahmed Patel in a private car from the AP Bhavan, without being noticed by the media. From there the two hopped into a simple and nondescript Tata Indica car and reached 10 Janapath, Sonia Gandhi’s official residence. The two are believed to have met Sonia around 10:30 pm. Kiran is reported to have explained to Sonia that if the government failed to accommodate Telangana MLAs in the vacant posts in the cabinet, it would send wrong signals to the people of the region.

It is learnt that the top leaders of the party present at the CM’s meeting had given a clearance to fill up the vacant posts of Telangana for the present. It is now learnt that as the Assembly budget sessions would start on February 13, the cabinet expansion would be held on 6th or 9th. Gandra Venkataramana Reddy, Uttama Kumar Reddy and Prasada Rao or Bhatti Vikramarka are likely to be inducted in the cabinet. It is being said that though the CM had initially favoured taking his loyalist Bhatti Vikramarka, he has now second thoughts to accommodate Prasada Rao, another loyalist as Bhatti is already in the coveted position of Deputy Speaker. Though the Chief Minister had discussed the matter with AICC general secretary and state party in charge Ghulam Nabi Azad for 2 hours, his meeting with Sonia Gandhi was over in just 5 minutes, said the reports. Kiran has stayed back in the capital, to fine tune his proposals in consultations with the top leadership, as Sonia has already given broad clearance.

It may be mentioned here that from the Telangana region, Jupalli Krishna Rao, Komatireddy Venkata Reddy and Konda Surekha had resigned on the statehood cause while Sankara Rao was dismissed from the cabinet. These four posts are likely to be filled up now.