Hyderabad: Parts of Andhra Pradesh erupted in protests on Monday following the announcement of new cabinet members by state chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Sunday night.
Jagayyapeta in Krishna district saw vehicles being lit on fire by locals displeased that senior legislator Samineni Udayabhanu was not inducted in the new cabinet. Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) party flags were burnt. Udayabhanu was previously serving as a government whip with a cabinet rank.
Udayabhanu met Balineni Srinivasa Reddy in the afternoon and said that he was expecting a cabinet berth as he was the senior-most in the district.
Another senior leader and three-time MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy broke into tears when he found out he was not part of the new cabinet.
“I am unhappy for not being included in the cabinet, but I will be co-operating with the Jagan government,” he said.
Upon knowing that former home minister Mekathoti Sucharitha was not in the CM’s new team, her close aides protested by burning tyres on the road in front of the Lodge Centre on Sunday. She handed in her resignation from the assembly on Monday.
The followers of Chodavaram MLA Karanam Dharmasri staged a protest on the main road junction at Chodavaram and burnt tyres while raising slogans against CM Jagan.
On Monday, chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy reconstituted his Cabinet with all 25 ministers taking the oath. Reddy had told the Cabinet meeting that the dropped ministers will be given responsibilities in the party so that their experience can be used to ensure the party’s victory in the 2024 elections.
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