Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Mekathoti SucharitaAfter naming five deputy chief ministers, Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy appointed Mekathoti Sucharita, a Dalit woman as the home minister of the state. Sucharita, who was groomed by the former Andhra Pradesh CM and Jagan’s father late Dr Y S Rajashekara Reddy has been awarded the position not only because she belongs to the Mala-SC caste but also because she is a staunch YSR loyalist who stuck with the family since 2009.
Calling it an honour, Sucharita said, “YSRCP has got a huge mandate and it puts a lot of responsibility on us. Jagan’s commitment for the welfare of the people can be understood from the huge representation that backward communities got in the Cabinet. As a Dalit woman, it is a privilege to be made Home Minister.”
Her top priority, she said, is to ensure law and order in the state and to bring transparency and accountability in the police department.
Rise from homemaker to home minister
Sucharita who was a social worker was first spotted by late Dr Y S Rajashekara Reddy during his historic ‘padayatra’ in 2003 and he later inducted her in Congress. Sucharita first entered politics in 2006 when she won Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTC) election from Phirangipuram in Guntur as a Congress candidate. She was a ZPTC member for two years.
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“I was very impressed by Dr Y S Rajashekara Reddy and his dedication. I decided to join him then. I have always remained loyal to YSR family because of their commitment to work for the welfare of people,” the 45-year-old said.
In 2009, YSR allotted her the ticket for Prathipadu Assembly Constituency in Guntur district from where she won comfortably. After YSR’s death in September 2009, she swore allegiance to Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and resigned from Congress when Jagan launched YSRCP in March 2011. She won in the by-elections held in May 2012.
However, in 2014, she lost to Telugu Desam Party’s Ravela Kishore Babu. Her loyalty to Jagan and his family was rewarded with Jagan allotting her the ticket once again in this election. She defeated two heavyweights-former minister D Manikya Vara Prasad of the TDP, and former TDP minister Ravela Kishore Babu who joined Jana Sena Party.
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Before the 2014 elections, when Jagan’s mother Y S Vijayamma used to tour the districts and campaign for Jagan, Sucharita used to regularly accompany her. In fact, Sucharita was a constant companion of Vijayamma until she withdrew from the public after 2014 elections.
Hailing from Phirangipuram in Guntur, Sucharitha is married to IRS officer M Dayasagar who is now posted as Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) at Mumbai. Her father N Anka Rao was a medical doctor at a government hospital who later ran a clinic in Phirangipuram. She completed her BA in Political Science in 1990. “At home, I am a humble homemaker,” Sucharitha, who has a son and daughter, quipped.
