After appointing five deputy chief ministers, YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy sprang another surprise on Saturday by naming a Dalit woman as the home minister of the state.
Mekathoti Sucharita, who represents Prathipadu (SC) reserved constituency in Guntur district, was sworn in as a cabinet minister recently. With the move, Sucharita has become the first woman Dalit Minister to join the cabinet of 24 ministers. Sucharita is also the first woman home minister in the residuary Andhra Pradesh state formed in 2014, after Telangana was carved out.
Apparently, CM Reddy took inspiration from his father, chief minister of combined Andhra Pradesh late Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, who appointed the first woman home minister ever in his cabinet in 2009 – P Sabita Indra Reddy. She is now an MLA with Telangana Rashtra Samithi.
“I was a social worker when I first met Dr Y S Rajashekara Reddy when he arrived in our district during his padayatra. I was very impressed by him, his dedication and commitment to understand and know the issues and problems faced by the people. I decided to join him then. I have always remained loyal to YSR family because of their commitment to work for the welfare of people,” the 45-year-old told a portal.
Apart from Sucharita, two more women are in CM Reddy’s cabinet—Pusha Sri Vani and Taneti Vanitha (women development and child welfare).
CM Reddy has given her one of the most significant portfolios of Home Minister of State as well as disaster management.
Sucharita termed the portfolio “an honor” and further told the portal, “YSRCP has got a huge mandate and it puts a lot of responsibility on us. Jagan’s commitment for the welfare of the people can be understood from the huge representation that backward communities got in the Cabinet. As a Dalit woman, it is a privilege to be made Home Minister.”
