AP: JAGAN TAKES THE LONG VIEW
Jagan Reddy aims to strengthen his party’s social base by getting the caste mix right in his cabinet
Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who took about a fortnight to constitute his cabinet after being sworn in as chief minister on May 30, appears to be looking to build a broad social coalition that fortifies his Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress (YSRC) party further after its landslide victory in the state. Ensuring representation of all districts and major castes in his team, Jagan has sought to change the perception that the YSRC is predominantly a party of the Reddy forward caste.
To this end, his 25-member cabinet consists of five
deputy chief ministers, representing different social groups: K. Narayana Swamy (Scheduled Castes), Pamula Pushpa Srivani (Scheduled Tribes), Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose (Backward Classes), Amzath Basha Shaik (Muslims) and Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas (Kapus). Though deputy chief minister is a titular post, with no constitutional obligations or responsibilities, Jagan can use the appointments to not only argue that he has kept a poll promise but also hope that it would offset the effect of long-term incumbency.
Jagan’s cabinet has seven ministers from the backward classes, demographically the largest grouping in the state, and four each from the Kapu and Reddy communities. In all, 14 berths have gone to the SCs, STs, Backward Classes and minorities and 11 to the forward castes. Nineteen ministers are first-timers. Jagan has accommodated Brahmins by picking Kona Raghupathi as the deputy speaker of the legislative assembly. Tammineni Sitaram, a Backward Class leader from Srikakulam district, is the speaker.
For MLAs who might be peeved by their noninclusion, Jagan has held out hope declaring that the performance of ministers will be reviewed mid-term. The YSRC chief ’s intent has been to signal that various interest groups hold equal importance in his government. In ensuring a broad community and geographical representation in the cabinet, Jagan is following in the footsteps of his late father and former chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who led the Congress to two successive terms in the state. Jagan has, like him, chosen a Dalit
CRITICS SEE JAGAN’S SOCIAL ENGINEERING AS APPEASEMENT POLITICS
woman, Mekathoti Sucharitha, as home minister.
During his Praja Sankalpa Yatra in the run-up to the assembly and Lok Sabha elections, Jagan had promised at least 50 per cent cabinet posts to those from the disadvantaged sections. “By allotting (them) around 60 per cent (of the berths), he is heralding a political and social revolution,” says V. Eshwaraiah, a retired high court judge and former chairman of the National Commission for Backward Classes. “The historic decision ending the generationslong political discrimination transforms him into a national leader.”
Critics, however, say that in the name of social justice and pluralism, Jagan has taken appeasement politics to a new low. They see it as political expediency, coming from a leader with little experience of governance.
Jagan, though, has started his innings in right earnest, announcing two schemes to create jobs and improve governance, with tight deadlines of August 15 and October 2. He has met his Telangana counterpart K. Chandrashekar Rao three times and has also spelt out his priorities: welfare of the disadvantaged, healthcare and jobs. The challenge will be to turn these goals into time-bound achievements.