A woman among Andhra’s five deputy CMs

Amaravati, June 8 (IANS) A woman is among five ministers appointed as deputy chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday while a woman minister was also given the key portfolio of home.

P. Pushpa Sreevani, the youngest among ministers inducted in Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy cabinet earlier in the day, was later appointed one of the five deputy chief ministers. The 33-year-old will look after tribal welfare.

In an unprecedented move, Jagan Reddy named five deputy CMs, one each from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes, minorities and Kapus.

P. Subhash Chandra Bose, a senior leader who served as the minister in Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy's cabinet in undivided Andhra Pradesh, is also among the deputy chief ministers. Bose will handle revenue portfolio.

The other deputy chief ministers are Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas (health, family welfare and medical education), K. Narayana Swamy (excise, commercial taxes) and Amjad Basha Shaik Bepari (minority welfare).

Mekathoti Sucharitha, who was one of the three women to be inducted in the cabinet, was entrusted with the key portfolio of home. The 47-year-old was elected to Assembly from Prathipadu constituency (reserved for Scheduled Caste).

By appointing Sucharitha as the home minister, Jagan Reddy has emulated his father Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who had made Sabitha Indra Reddy as the first woman home minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh in 2009. Sucharitha will handle home and disaster departments.

Bugganath Rajendranath will be the finance minister in Jagan Reddy's cabinet.A He was re-elected from Dhone Assembly constituency for a second term on YSR Congress Party ticket.