Former Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Mekathoti Sucharita has decided to resign from her post as an MLA, soon after it was announced that she was left out of the revamped state cabinet, her family members told the media on Sunday, April 10. It was announced on Sunday evening that 11 legislators who resigned from the Andhra Pradesh Council of Ministers on April 7 will be re-inducted when Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy reconstitutes his cabinet on April 11. Sucharita, who represents the Prathipadu (SC) constituency of Guntur district, was among the legislators left out.
Her daughter Rishika told the media on April 10 that Sucharita had only resigned as MLA and not from the party, and that she had submitted her resignation letter to Rajya Sabha MP Mopidevi Venkataramana Rao. According to reports, Mopidevi visited Sucharita at her residence on April 10, to placate her as she was upset over not being inducted into the cabinet again. YSRCP party workers, who are Sucharita’s followers, also expressed discontentment over the denial of a cabinet berth.
Along similar lines, supporters of Jaggayyapeta MLA Samineni Udaya Bhanu, Chodavaram MLA Karanam Dharmasri and Guntur East MLA also held protests over the leaders being left out of the cabinet. According to reports, Ongole MLA Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, who was also a member of the previous cabinet as Minister of Energy, Forest and Environment, and Science and Technology, was also upset over being denied a berth. YSRCP General Secretary and Government Advisor (Public Affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy reportedly spoke to Balineni in an attempt to appease him.
After visiting Sucharita, Mopidevi told the media, “The cabinet has been formed by prioritising BC, SC, and ST leaders’ representation. Therefore, some decisions may trouble leaders and party workers. In Sucharita’s case, due to CM’s decisions, there was a mild disturbance. But ours is a joint family, we will soon sort out these minor issues and hope to resume governance with the new cabinet.” He said he was hopeful that Sucharita would be honoured as a Dalit woman, and a suitable position would be given to her by CM Jagan. “There’s no question of a resignation,” he said.
After constituting the first cabinet in June 2019, Jagan made it clear that after half the term was completed, there would be a new cabinet and the outgoing ministers will be entrusted with the task of working for the party to bring it back to power.
The forming of the new cabinet was reportedly finalised while accounting for caste and regional equations and also retaining senior ministers. In the 25-member cabinet, the lion's share of ten berths went to Backward Classes, with one Muslim member, five from the Scheduled Castes and one from the Scheduled Tribes. Four ministers each from the Reddy and Kapu communities have also been inducted. The Cabinet has four women members, one more than the previous one.