Creating a record of sorts, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy now has five Deputy Chief Ministers, said to be the highest-ever in any state in the country.
Jagan Reddy expanded his cabinet on Saturday and the five Deputy CMs were picked out from the state's five major social groups - Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Backward Classes (BC), minorities and Kapus.
Here's the list of five Deputy CMs.
1. Alla 'Nani'
A former Congress legislator, Alla Krishna Srinivas, commonly referred to as Alla Nani, is a strongman from Eluru. He held the MLA seat for two terms from 2004, before he resigned and joined the YSRCP in 2013. While he lost the 2014 Assembly Elections, he was nominated as an MLC.
He swept the recent polls from Eluru defeating Badeti Kota Ramarao from the TDP. He has also been allotted the portfolios of Health, Family Welfare and Medical Education.
2. Amzath Basha
The MLA from Kadapa, Amzath Basha will be the face of the minority community in the cabinet. A businessman-politician, Amzath campaigned extensively for the YSRCP chief in the latter's home district and ensured his victory.
He has been allotted the Minority Welfare portfolio by Jagan.
3. Pushpasreevani Pamula
Pushparsreevani, who has been made the state's Tribal Welfare Minister, is an MLA from Kurupam constituency in Vizianagaram district, which is reserved for Adivasis.
She had won from the constituency in 2014 and managed to retain her seat again during the 2019 Elections. She will be the only one from the ST community among Jagan's five Deputy CMs.
4. Pilli Subash Chandra Bose
Bose was a senior Congress leader and sitting state Minister when Jagan floated the YSRCP. The senior politician gave up his post and joined Jagan, around a decade ago. He was later nominated as an MLC and has now been allotted the portfolio of Revenue, Registration & Stamps.
5. K Narayana Swamy
Narayana Swamy, the sitting legislator from Gangadhara Nellore, a constituency in Chittoor district, reserved for the SC community. He has been allotted the portfolios of Excise and Commercial Taxes.
His win in the district was among the few which had upset TDP, as it was in Chandrababu Naidu's home district.
The move to induct five Deputy CMs is being seen as Jagan's gesture to reward these communities for throwing their weight behind the YSRCP, enabling it to storm to power with a landslide victory last month.
In its election manifesto, the YSRCP had made various promises for the welfare and development of these communities, which constitute about 70% of the state's population and are believed to have overwhelmingly supported the YSRCP to give it a huge mandate.
Reddy's predecessor, N Chandrababu Naidu, had two Deputy Chief Ministers - KE Krishna Murthy and N Chinnarajappa, representing the BC and Kapu communities, respectively.
Political analysts say Jagan, by having five deputies, wants to win the goodwill of these communities and further strengthen his vote bank.
The YSRCP won 151 seats in 175-member Assembly and also bagged 22 out of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state, virtually wiping out the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
IANS inputs