Amaravati: In what could be an unprecedented move, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy today decided to have five Deputy Chief Ministers under him in a full 25-member Cabinet. The new Council of Ministers will be sworn in at a public function here Saturday.
The Chief Minister held a meeting of the YSR Congress Legislature Party at his residence here in the morning where he announced the decision to appoint five Deputy Chief Ministers. Accordingly, one each from SC, ST, BC, minority and Kapu communities would be made Deputy CMs.
He also told his legislators that the Cabinet would predominantly comprise members from the weaker sections, contrary to expectations that the Reddy community would get the lion’s share. He said the Cabinet would be reconstituted two-and-a-half years later after a mid-term review of the government’s performance.
In the previous N Chandrababu Naidu government, one each from, Kapu and BC communities, was made Deputy Chief Minister. Jagan’s decision to have five deputies is seen as a revolutionary step that is aimed at keeping those communities in good humour.
Jagan Mohan won 151 out of 175 Assembly seats and 22 out of 25 Lok Sabha seats. He also promised that he would provide clean, corruption-free administration that won people’s trust.
Jagan Mohan said his government would live up to the expectations of the people and implement ‘Navaratnalu’ (nine promises made in the manifesto) in letter ad spirit.
Soon after assuming charge, he made several moves including renaming of many schemes and one of it is ‘YSR Pension Kanuka’ (YSR pension gift) instead of the ‘NTR Bharosa’ and raised the pension amount.