Setting up a record, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday decided to have five Deputy Chief Ministers in the Cabinet..

To be sworn in tomorrow by Governor ESL Narasimhan, the Council of Ministers is expected 25 members.

The decision has been made to ensure ministerial representation to all sections of the society. The five Deputy CMs will represent the BCs, Kapus, SCs, STs and minorities.

Jagan Mohan was sworn in as Chief Minister by the Governor on May 30.

Legislature Party meeting

The YSR Congress Legislature Party meeting, held at Tadepalli on Friday, was attended by all the newly-elected MLAs as well as the MLCs. “We must live up to the expectations of the public and provide clean, transparent and efficient administration,” Jagan told the legislators.

The decision to have five Deputy CMs came as a surprise. The previous TDP government had two Deputy Chief Ministers — N Chinnarajappa, representing the Kapus; and KE Krishnamurthy representing the BCs.

Therefore, Jaganmohan Reddy has add three more Deputy CMs in comparison to the TDP. These three represent the SCs, STs and minorities — the three main vote-banks of YSR Congress Party.

Uttar Pradesh, the biggest State in the country, also has two Deputy Chief Ministers.

Shorter terms?

Another surprising decision taken by Jagan Mohan Reddy is that most of the ministers sworn in on Saturday will only have a tenure of two-and-a-half years, after which they will be replaced by other party colleagues. Only a few senior ministers may have a full five-year term.

Those serving as ministers in the first phase would have to take up party work in the second-half of their term. This method, apparently, has been chosen to meet the aspirations of most of the MLAs and MLCs and give them a chance. YSR Congress has 151 members in the Assembly.

Senior party leaders such as Botsa Satyanarayana and P Subhash Chandra Bose, who earlier served in the late YS Rajasekhara Reddy government, may be given a full term in view of their seniority and services to the party.

Assembly meeting

The State Assembly will meet for three days from June 12. On June 13 the newly-elected MLAs will be administered the oath of office. The list of new ministers may be released by Saturday.

Meanwhile, Tammineni Sitaram, representing the Amudalavalasa constituency in Srikakulam district, has been chosen for the post of the new Speaker of the Assembly.

Sitaram said on Friday that he would discharge the responsibility given to him in all sincerity and do full justice to the Constitutional post.

“I will strive to conduct the proceedings in the House in a dignified manner and uphold its prestige and image, and give equal opportunity to both the ruling party and the Opposition,” he added.

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