The congress leadership in the state has decided to appoint Bhupalapally MLA Mr Gandra Venkataramana Reddy as the Chief whip, according to reports.

The party took the decision to appoint him to the post after he failed to make it to the Cabinet. The chief whip post has been lying vacant ever since Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka was made the Deputy Speaker of the assembly.

Kondru Murali, party whip, is also being inducted into the Cabinet and with his induction, the party whip post also falls vacant. With this, the post of chief whip and three posts of whip will have to be filled up.

Reports said the race for the posts of whip has already begun and the Balkonda MLA Mr Anil, Bobbili MLA Mr Sujay Krishna Ranga Rao, Nandikotturu MLA Mr Venkata Swamy and Addanki MLA Mr Gottipati Ravikumar are vying to grab them. (JUBS)