Jagan said ministers will get two-and-half-year tenures. PTIIn a bid to represent all sections of society after a landslide victory, Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy announced Friday that Andhra Pradesh will have five deputy CMs — one each from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, backward classes, minorities and the Kapu community.
The decision, unprecedented in Indian politics, was announced at a YSRCP legislative party meeting at the party headquarters at Tadepalligudem in Amaravati. Jagan also said that his Cabinet will have 25 ministers, who will all be sworn in Saturday.
In the previous TDP Government, N Chandrababu Naidu had two Deputy CMs – one Kapu and the other an OBC.
Jagan told the MLAs that the five deputy CMs will represent SCs, STs, OBCs, minorities and the Kapu community. The Kapu community, which had backed the TDP in 2014 shifted to Jagan in the state elections, hence the representation in the Cabinet. “The Cabinet will represent the aspirations of all communities,’’ said Jagan.
Sources close to Jagan said that out of the 25 ministers, eight will be from OBCs, 5 from SCs, one from STs, four from the Kapu community, four from the Reddy community, one from the Kamma community, one Kshatriya and one Vysya.
According to sources, Jagan also warned that the ministers’ tenure would be for two-and-half years and if they do not perform well or if he feels that they should be replaced, he would do so. He also stated that he would make way for new faces halfway through his term.
Jagan said that the Cabinet would be a mix of seniors who worked with his father, late Dr Y S Rajashekara Reddy, and young MLAs. MLA from Kadapa Ahmed Basha, former Congress ministers Botsa Satyanarayana, Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose, Dharmana Prasad Rao, and seniors like Balineni Srinivas Reddy, Ambati Ram Babu, A Ramakrishna Reddy may find a place in the Cabinet. Contrary to expectations that the ministry would be loaded with Reddys, Jagan has made it clear that all communities will get representation.
“As people of all sections and castes put their faith and trust in Jagan, he is trying to have representatives of all castes and communities in the Cabinet. This is to appease all the sections of society,’’ said a party leader.
However, with 151 MLAs, there is a lot of pressure on Jagan with MLAs vying for ministerial berths and posts. Jagan also told the MLAs that he would not tolerate any corruption. “People are watching us closely. We have a big mandate and an even bigger responsibility. There should be no corruption at any level, and we should maintain transparency in all our dealings,’’ Jagan told the MLAs.
