Mix of old, new faces in CM Jagan’s cabinet
HYDERABAD: The stage is set for the swearing in ceremony of the members of the reorganised Andhra Pradesh cabinet in Amaravati on Monday.
The list was announced on Sunday by YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, even as the discussions to finalise the names, balancing caste and regional equations, went on till the last minute, said an official privy to the matter. The new cabinet includes 11 members from the previous cabinet dissolved on April 7, besides 14 fresh faces. “The newly formed cabinet has a mixture of senior and experienced leaders as well as fresh and young faces, for a balanced governance,” the chief minister’s office (CMO) said in a statement.
“While the seniors will bring in their expertise and experience on to the table, the young leaders will bring in fresh and innovative ideas and initiatives to the table, thus aiding in people-oriented governance.”
The list of the 25-member cabinet was forwarded to Raj Bhavan for governor Biswabhushan Harichandan’s approval in the evening. He will administer oath of office to the new ministers at a ceremony on the lawns of the state secretariat at Velagapudi in Amaravati at 11.31am on Monday, the official said, requesting anonymity.
The ministers being retained include Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, Botsa Satyanarayana, Buggana Rajendranath Reddy, Pinipe Vishwarup, Ch Srinvasa Venugopala Krishna, Gummanur Jayaram, Seediri Appalaraju, Adimulapu Suresh, K Narayana Swamy, Md Amzad Basha and Taneti Vanitha.
The remaining members of the new cabinet are Dharmana
Prasada Rao, P Rajanna Dora, Gudivada Amarnath, Buddi Muthyala Naidu, Dadishetti Raja, Karumuri Nageswara Rao, Kittu Satyanarayana, Jogi Ramesh, Ambati Rambabu, Meruga Nagarjuna, Vidadala Rajini, Kakani Govardhan Reddy, Roja K Selvamani and Usha Sricharan.
The previous ministers, however, will be given responsibilities in YSRCP so that they can make use of their experience to ensure the party’s victory in the upcoming assembly and general elections in 2024, the CMO said. Keeping up the motto of fair social representation, the chief minister has increased their representation in the cabinet from 56% in the last cabinet to 68%, it added. In the previous cabinet, there were five scheduled caste (SC), one scheduled tribe (ST), seven other backward class (OBC), one minority and 11 other castes (OC) as ministers. This time, the representation has been increased to 11 OBCS, five SCS, one ST and eight OCS. The representation of women in the has also been increased from three to four.