Telangana state Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has, for the first time in the state, or any other, held a Cabinet meeting with just one Cabinet minister.
After Assembly results were declared on December 11, Mr Rao took oath as Chief Minister of Telangana state, for the second time, on December 13, 2018.
Former deputy chief minister Mahamood Ali was sworn in as a Cabinet minister along with him, and later was allotted the home department. For the last three weeks, the state administration has been run by the Chief Minister and home minister.
According to secretariat business rules, the quorum required for a Cabinet meeting is half of the full membership of the Cabinet, plus one.
The total strength of the Telangana state Cabinet cannot cross 18 members, including the Chief Minister.
Though the business rules say that the quorum to hold the Cabinet meeting is “half of the full membership”, it does not say how many members should be in the cabinet out of the total strength.
The present strength of the Telangana state Cabinet is two — the Chief Minister and one Cabinet minister.
The requirement of the quorum for holding a Cabinet meeting — half of the full strength plus one — is thus fulfilled with the presence of the Chief Minister and a Cabinet minister, and the attendance is 100 per cent.