Chandrasekhara Rao sworn-in as first CM of Telangana

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao Monday took oath as the first chief minister of Telangana, a few hours after it took birth as the 29th state of India.

Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan administered the oath of office and secrecy to 60-year-old Rao at a ceremony held at Raj Bhavan here.

Eleven cabinet ministers also took the oath with KCR, as Rao is popularly known.

Those who took the oath include KCR's son K. Taraka Rama Rao and nephew Harish Rao.

The swearing-in took place a few hours after the celebrations broke out across Telangana on its formation as a separate state.

Mohammed Mehmood Ali, a member of the legislative council, is the only Muslim inducted in the cabinet, which has a mix of both youth and experience. It was immediately not clear if Ali, a leader from Hyderabad, will be made the deputy chief minister.

Senior leader N. Narasimha Reddy, a politburo member of the party, and E. Rajender, who served as the party's floor leader in the last Andhra Pradesh assembly were also sworn in as the ministers.

P. Srinivas Reddy, who served as the minister in Telugu Desam Party government, leaders like T. Rajaiah, T. Padma Rao, Mahender Reddy, Jogu Ramanna and Jagdish Reddy took oath as the ministers.

Before taking oath as the chief minister, KCR paid tributes to martyrs of Telangana at Gun Park near legislative assembly building.

Two hours before the swearing-in of the new cabinet, Narasimhan took oath as the governor of Telangana. Andhra Pradesh High Court Chief Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta administered the oath to Narasimhan, who will serve as the governor of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Leaders of various political parties and top officials attended the ceremony.

--Indo-Asian News Service