Jagan’s social engineering without human touch
The YCP leaders made tall claims about CM Jaganmohan Reddy’s record in giving over 50 per cent ministries to SC, SY, BC and Minorities. But a close look reveals how Jagan carried out his social engineering without giving it a real human touch. He has carefully avoided giving real power that would go to respective ministers because of their positions.
SC MLA Mekathoti Sucharita is given Home Ministry making her the first woman in AP to get the post. But she is not made the Deputy Chief Minister. Logically speaking, Sucharita should get DCM post because her Home Ministry is the second most powerful post after the CM post. It’s so in any state or at the Centre. In the previous Chandrababu Naidu government, then home minister Nimmakayala China Rajappa was DCM. In the Modi ministry at the Centre, Amit Shah got the second most powerful post which is Home Ministry.
In AP, Jagan gave the DCM post to K. Narayana Swamy in SC reservation. Analysts say that Jagan has taken all the steps to empower the weaker sections while at the same time denying full powers they deserve by virtue of their posts.
Andhra Cabinet mix of experience and youth
Andhra Pradesh’s new 25-member Cabinet, which was sworn in on Saturday, is a mix of experience and youth as Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has also rewarded the loyalists.
Striking a balance, Jagan Reddy has also tried to ensure proper representation to the regions and various castes.
Six of the Ministers he inducted into his Cabinet were loyalists of his late father Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who was popularly known as YSR.
They had served in the Congress government headed by YSR in undivided Andhra Pradesh in 2004-09. The Ministers were re-inducted after YSR retained power in 2009.
Following YSR’s death in a helicopter crash a few months later, some of them had served under his successors K. Rosaiah and Kiran Kumar Reddy but subsequently switched loyalties to Jagan Reddy, who quit the Congress to float the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) in 2011.
Though P. Subhash Chandra Bose and Mopidevi Venkatramna were defeated in the Assembly elections, the YSRCP chief inducted them to reward them for their loyalty and also to have experienced hands in the government.
Jagan, as the Chief Minister is known among his supporters, also rewarded those who stood by him through thick and thin.
However, in an attempt to give representation to different caste groups, he also had to ignore some seniors and those considered close to him.
In an unprecedented move, Jagan announced that he will have five Deputy Chief Ministers, one each from the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Backward Classes (BC), minorities and Kapus.
Though a symbolic gesture considering the fact that power will be concentrated in the hands of the Chief Minister and a couple of the leaders close to him, it is considered a significant move aimed at social outreach.
The YSRCP chief wants to show that he is giving importance to the communities whose support helped the party storm to power with a landslide majority.
Jagan has also given 60 per cent of the cabinet berths to BCs, SCs, STs and minorities. There are seven ministers from BCs, five from SCs and one each from STs and minorities.
The remaining 11 berths have gone to other castes. Kapus, a numerically significant caste in parts of south coastal Andhra, were given four berths. Reddys, a dominant caste in the party, were also given four ministries. Kammas, Vyshyas and Kshatriyas got one berth each.
Jagan also gave importance to young blood in his ministry. Like the 46-year-old Jagan, the majority of the Ministers have no previous experience of working in a government and were elected to the Assembly for the second or third time. Almost all leaders had come to YSRCP from either the Congress or the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
Most of these Ministers are aged between 45-55 years.
At 33, P. Pushpa Sreevani is the youngest in Jagan’s Cabinet. Re-elected from Kurupam constituency in Vizianagaram district for a second consecutive term, she is one of the three women to find a place in the Cabinet.
Sreevani, who have done B.Ed. from Andhra University, showed cultivation as her occupation in the affidavit filed by her while submitting her nomination to the Election Commission.
P. Anil Kumar is the second youngest. The 38-year-old was re-elected from Nellore City constituency. A Bachelor in Dental Surgery, he is into the real estate business.
Another prominent name is Kodali Sri Venkateswara Rao, popularly known as Kodali Nani. Once an active leader of the TDP in Krishna district, he quit the party to join the YSRCP in 2012.
The 47-year-old, who failed in the 10th standard, is a close friend of popular actor Junior NTR, grandson of TDP founder and former Chief Minister N. T. Rama Rao, who was popular as NTR.
Nani was re-elected from Gudivada constituency for the fourth time.
25-member Andhra Pradesh cabinet sworn-in
Nine days after taking over as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday constituted his cabinet with 25 ministers being sworn-in here.
Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers, including three women, at a ceremony held near State Secretariat at Velagapudi.
Jagan Reddy, who alone took oath on May 30, constituted his cabinet at one go.
While six ministers had served in the cabinet of Jagan Reddy’s late father Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in undivided Andhra Pradesh, all others are first-time ministers.
The swearing in ceremony began at 11.49 a.m., the auspicious time set by Jagan Reddy’s advisors.
Dharmana Prasada Rao was the first to be sworn-in. Adimulapu Suresh and M. Goutham Reddy took oath in English while the remaining ministers took oath in Telugu.
Amjad Basha, the lone Muslim Minister, took oath in the name of ‘Allah’.
As announced earlier, five of the ministers will be Deputy Chief Ministers. In an unprecedented move, Jagan Reddy decided to have five deputies, each from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes, minorities and Kapus.
The names of Deputy Chief Ministers are expected to be announced later in the day.
Sixty per cent of the ministers are from SCs, STs, BCs and minorities. There are 11 ministers from upper castes – Reddys 4, Kapus 4, Kamma 1, Vyshya 1 and Kshatriya 1.
Botsa Satyanarayana, P. Subhash Chandra Bose, P. Viswarup, Mopidevi Venkatramna, Balineni Srinivasa Reddy and Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy had served as Ministers earlier in Congress government headed by Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy.
Of them, Subhash Chandra Bose and Mopidevi Venkatramna were both defeated in Assembly elections. While Bose is a member of Legislative Council, Venkatramna is likely to be nominated to the upper House.
YSR Congress Party stormed to power last month with a landslide majority, winning 151 seats in 175-member Assembly.
