New Andhra Pradesh cabinet to assume charge from Monday

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's new cabinet is set to assume office on Monday in the vacant space near the Secretariat. The muhurat for the swearing-in ceremony has been fixed at 11:31 am. All the 24 cabinet ministers had resigned on Thursday, following which the letters were sent to Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan's office on Saturday.

He is likely to accept them tomorrow. For the second consecutive day, the CM and his advisor and party general secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy discussed the composition of the new cabinet for three hours.

While some ministers would be reinducted, the new team will comprise some new faces with members from the Backward Classes community getting higher representation. "The discussions will continue till Sunday afternoon after which those who make it to the cabinet will receive calls from the Chief Minister’s Office on Sunday," Sajjala said.

Plan to pick 1 minister from each district unlikely

Giving a broad outline on the composition of the cabinet, Sajjala said, "I cannot comment on how many ministers from the old team will be part of the new one. The chief minister knows very well what his team’s composition should be and he will take the right decision."

Meanwhile, sources said at least seven ministers might be re-inducted into the new Cabinet. As the team would take the government policies closer to the people in the run up to the 2024 elections, the chief minister is said to have decided to prioritise BCs in the new team.

Confirming the same, Sajjala said, "BCs would be given more representation compared to the previous cabinet. Women, too, will be given priority." Jagan's first cabinet had seven BC ministers. Although it was initially planned that the 25 members of the Cabinet would be picked from each of the 25 districts barring Kadapa, the same is unlikely now.

Asked if experience or caste equations would be prioritised in choosing the new team, Sajjala hinted at the same and said caste equations would be considered in the selection of the team. Jagan is said to have narrowed down to at least three leaders from each of the undivided 13 districts.

It is expected that the Home portfolio, which was held by M Sucharita, would be given to a woman again. All the ministers who resigned were also asked to attend the swearing-in ceremony so as to indicate that there is no dissidence between the new members of the team and the one’s who could not find place in the cabinet. The chief minister would host a hi-tea for his old and new cabinet colleagues after the ceremony.