Andhra: Jagan Goes Three Up on Chandrababu, Announces Five Deputy CMs Representing SCs,STs,OBCs,Minorites,Kapus

In an unprecedented decision, the new chief minister of Andhra Pradesh YS Jagan Mohan Reddy announced today (Jun 7) that he will appoint as many as five deputy chief ministers in his cabinet, which is set to be sworn-in on Saturday.

CM Jagan Reddy announced this while addressing newly-elected legislators of the YSR Congress Party on Friday, a day before cabinet expansion.

“Five of them will be designated as deputy chief ministers, each of whom will represent, SC (Scheduled Castes), ST (Scheduled Tribes), OBC (Other Backward Classes), minority and Kapu community,” Jagan Reddy said.

Jagan Reddy's predecessor N. Chandrababu Naidu had two deputy chief ministers. Revenue Minister K E Krishnamurthy, as a representative of the backward caste communities and Home Minister Nimmakayala Chinna Rajappa , a Kapu, were designated as Deputy CMs in the Naidu cabinet

In a desperate attempt to woo the Muslim community in the run up to the elections Naidu had also announced that he would make a Muslim a Deputy Chief Minister if the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was voted back to power.

The YSRCP chief, who led his party to a landslide victory in the assembly election, also announced in the Legislature Party meeting that he will induct 25 ministers in the cabinet. He declared that half of them would be from SCs, STs, BCs and minorities. He also said there will be cabinet reshuffle after two-and-half years to give an opportunity to new ministers.

“Those who are selected for the cabinet will be intimated individually by party general secretary V Vijay Sai Reddy by evening,” he said.

Sensing the possibility of potential dissatisfaction in his party over the choice of minister, Jagan said that those are denied a berth in the first cabinet expansion will get a chance to become the ministers after two and a half years.