AP Government gave political power to weaker sections by allocating MLC seats

Amaravati: Empowering weaker sections is no longer a slogan as the Chief Minister had made it reality like never before in the two year governance. It has been reflected in the recent allocation of MLC seats by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy with two out of four entering the Upper House belonging to weaker sections, a statement from the CMO said on Tuesday.

In allocation of MLC seats, factors influencing the selection like social status, financial ability and political influence were sidelined paving way to weaker sections marking true political empowerment.

In the Chief Minister's home district Kadapa, prominence was given to BC-Yadava in the Governor-nominated MLCs. With this decision, after six-and-a-half decades, a person belonging to Yadava community is nominated in the Governor's quota as an MLC, the note read.

Since the formation of AP Legislative Council in 1958, almost 30 MLCs were elected from Kadapa district and for the first time Yadav community got an opportunity.

Of the four MLC posts that went vacant under Governor's quota, the government selected one SC and one BC for two seats. Moshen Raju of West Godavari district, Ramesh Yadav of Kadapa, Thota Trimurthulu of East Godavari district and Lella Appireddy of Guntur have been nominated for the MLC posts under the Governor quota, the note added. Committed to the all-around development, since the day of forming the government in 2019, a total of 15 MLCs were elected under nominated and MLA quota, where 11 of them have been given to BC, SC and minorities. In vacancies that were filled after 2018, 12 posts were given to BC, SC and minorities, while three of them were given to upper castes, as Janga Krishna Murthy of BC was given the opportunity to be an MLC, while YSRCP is in opposition. This shows the priority given by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to social justice, especially empowering SC, ST, BC and minorities, the CMO release said.

Members elected and nominated as MLCs on behalf of YSRCP since 2019 are P Ravindra Babu (SC), Balli Kalyana Chakravarti (SC), Dokka Manikya Varaprasad (SC), Koyya Moshen Raju (SC), Mopidevi Venkata Ramana (BC),Duvvada Srinivas (BC), Potula Sunita (BC), Ramesh Yadav (BC), C Ramachandraiah (BC), Zakia Khanum (minority), Muhammad Iqbal (minority), Mohammed Karimunnisa (minority), Challa Bhagirathareddy (OC), Lella Appireddy (OC) and Thota Trimurthulu (OC).