Hyderabad: In a swift operation, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhara Rao has sacked Deputy Chief Minister Dr T Rajaiah from his eight-month-old Cabinet on Sunday.

Governor ESL Narasimhan accepted the resignation immediately.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao simultaneously decided to fill the vacancy by appointing Warangal MP Kadiam Srihari as the new Deputy Chief Minister in place of Rajaiah.

At a brief ceremony at Raj Bhavan on Sunday evening, Governor Narasimhan administered oath of office and secrecy to Mr Kadiam Srihari.

In a related development Mr Srihari will now be in-charge of Education. The medical and health Ministry hitherto looked after by Dr Rajaiah has now gone to Minister Dr C. Laxma Reddy who was holding the energy portfolio. K. Jagadiswara Reddy who is presently holding education portfolio will be the new energy minister.

Ever since the alleged irregularities involving the home minister in recent filling of some paramedical posts and purchase of ambulances for 108, wherein allegations of corruption had surfaced came to the notice of CM K Chandrasekhar Rao, Dr Rajaiah was under the scanner and it was evident that he would face the axe sooner or later.

Appointing the Registrar for the new Medical University at Warangal without keeping the Chief Minister informed, are said to be reasons for sacking of Rajaiah.

Since Rajaiah belonged to the Madiga community, which is the predominant SC community in Telamgana, CM K Chandrasekhar Rao thought it would be prudent to take a more experienced man from the same community and zeroed in on Warangal MP Kadiam Srihari.

Mr Srihari earlier served as a minister for nine years during Chandrababu Naidu’s rule as Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh between 1995-2004.