As the state prepares for the 2024 Assembly elections, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is planning a Cabinet reshuffle, with up to 19 ministers likely to be replaced.
The Chief Minister is expected to appoint new ministers to the state Cabinet in the coming days, with speculation that the swearing-in might take place as early as April 9.
Reports from reliable sources said that only four of the current ministers may keep their jobs. The Chief Minister would present Governor Biswabhushan Harichandran with the full list of new ministers before April 9.
Chief Minister Reddy presented the Governor with the final list of the 19 ministers who will be removed from the Cabinet on Wednesday. There are five deputy CMs in the present cabinet. As part of his effort to achieve caste balance in the state, Reddy is expected to appoint five new Deputy Chief Ministers.
Currently, the five Deputy Chief Ministers represent the communities of Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Backward Caste, Minority, and Kapu. There are also 11 ministers from the higher castes, including four Reddys, seven OBCs, five SCs, and one each from the ST and Muslim communities.
With Andhra Pradesh's State Assembly elections set for 2024, this reorganisation is key factor. Reddy had promised to reform the Cabinet when he took over as CM in the middle of his term. The reorganisation was supposed to happen in December, but it was postponed owing to Covid-19.
Andhra CM meets Gadkari, talks about ongoing developmental projects in the state