VIJAYAWADA: In what could be an unprecedented move, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday decided to have five deputy Chief Ministers under him in a full 25-member Cabinet. In the 25-member Cabinet, eight are from backward classes, five from SCs/STs and minority communities, four each from the Kapu and Reddy communities, one each from Kamma, Kshatriya and Vysya communities.
A cursory glance at the list leaked by YSRC camp shows that most of them will be first-time ministers. It appears that the Chief Minister has given more importance to balancing the various caste equations irrespective of experience. The experienced among the new ministers, if one were to go by the available information, are just about six -- Botsa Satyanarayana, Mopidevi Venkataramana, Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose, Peddi Reddy Ramachandra Reddy, Balineni Srinivasa Reddy and P Viswarup. Of them, Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose is an MLC, while Mopidevi Venkatarama lost in the elections. Conscious that seniors in the party may be disappointed, Jagan assured all of his legislators that he stands by them and promised to rejig the Cabinet after two-and-a-half years to give some of them an opportunity.
The expectation among those who did not make the cut this time is that at least 90 per cent of the cabinet would be changed in the second half of Jagan’s tenure. With so many aspirants among the 151 YSRC legislators, Jagan assured them that some of them would be given nominated posts in the near future and even in this, the representation of the various communities would be along the same lines as the Cabinet.
The previous TDP regime had two deputy chief ministers, one each from the Kapu and BC communities. Alla Ramakrishna Reddy, who defeated Nara Lokesh, does not figure in the list, though he was promised a cabinet berth during the election campaigning. He is expected to be given the opportunity in the rejig of the cabinet, two-and-half-years later.
Three women - Pushpa Srivani, an ST from Kurupam of Vizianagaram district, Mekathoti Sucharitha from Prathipadu of Guntur district and Taneti Vanitha, of SC community from Kovvur of West Godavari district - seem to have made the cut. Sk Bepari Amzath Basha from Kadapa is the only one from the minority community, who found a place in Jagan’s cabinet “Happy to be part of Jagan’s team. I served as a minister of RWS in his father YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s cabinet.
I will do justice to whatever portfolio is given to me. Our Chief Minister has achieved a fine balance in constituting the Cabinet, doing justice to every community. We were all told to hold the post for two-and-a-half years and later work for the party for the remaining tenure as MLA. Hats off to his strategy and vision,” P Viswarup, MLA from Amalapuram, told Express.
Cherukuvada Sri Ranganatha Raju from Achanta of West Godavari district and Taneti Vanitha also thanked Jagan for offering them a place in the Cabinet. However, YSRC has officially neither confirmed nor denied the names doing the rounds. Portfolios are also not clear and a clarity will only emerge later. The swearing-in ceremony of the new Cabinet will be held at Secretariat Grounds in Velagapudi at 11:49 am on Saturday. Jagan Mohan Reddy will arrive at the venue for the event at 11:44. Governor ESL Narasimhan will administer the oath to the new ministers. Elaborate arrangements are in place for the event.
3 women - Pushpa Srivani, an ST from Kurupam of Vizianagaram dist, Mekathoti Sucharitha from Prathipadu of Guntur dist and Taneti Vanitha, of SC community from Kovvur of West Godavari dist - seem to have made the cut