AP's 4 women ministers hold key portfolios in new Cabinet

Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet, which announced portfolios for 25 ministers on Monday, has given important portfolios to women. The new Cabinet has four women ministers – Taneti Vanita, R.K Roja, Vidadala Rajani, and K.V Usha Sri Charan.

1. Taneti Vanita

An MLA from Kovvuru, West Godavari district, Taneti Vanita has been given the Home ministry. She succeeded Mekathoti Sucharita who held the post till she resigned on 7 April. She was earlier the minister for women's development and child welfare. In the 2019 general elections, she got the majority of about 25,000 votes from Kovvuru.

Vanita quit the TDP party due to its stand on state bifurcation and joined the YSRCP. She now leads one of the key ministries.

She holds an MSc degree.

2. R.K Roja

An actor-turned-politician, Roja Selvamani holds the tourism, culture, and youth advancement portfolio. Roja began her political career in 1999 with the Telugu Desam Party but joined the YSRCP in 2011. She was elected an MLA from Nagari, Chittoor district, in 2014 and 2019.

Roja, who holds a BSc degree, served as the chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) between 2019 and 2021. There had been rumours that she would get the Home ministry but she has been handed tourism, culture, and youth advancement portfolio. Sources say Roja, who has good connections in the film industry, is likely to bring good projects such as the proposed film industry in Visakhapatnam and tourism projects to the state.

Soon after the announcement, Roja announced that she would say goodbye to films and TV shows. For many years, she was one of the judges on the 'Jabardasth' comedy show and had hosted shows like Rangasthalam, Rachabanda, Modern Mahalakshmi, and Bathuku Jatka Bandi. "I always respect my Chief Minister, Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy, and he never questioned me on why I was acting in films. Now that I have a bigger responsibility, I will work for the betterment of society," she said.

3. Vidadala Rajini

The 32-year-old Vidadala Rajini is on cloud nine after getting the health, family welfare, and medical education portfolio. An MLA from Chilakaluripet, she contested her first election in 2019 as a YSRCP candidate and won the seat by defeating TDP's Prathipati Pulla Rao.

This young leader made her political debut in 2014 and joined the YSRCP in 2018. She graduated from Osmania University and has a good following on social media. She later moved to the United States to work for an IT company. "This is an unexpected thing in my political career. I would strengthen the YSRCP and strengthen the leadership of Jagan," said Rajani.

4. K.V Ushasri Charan

An MLA from the Kalyandurg constituency of Anantapur district, Ushasri Charan has been given the women, child, differently-abled, and senior citizens welfare ministry, one of the significant portfolios. Three women – Lakshmidevamma, Shamanthakamani, and Paritala Sunita – from the Anantapur district have previously held these portfolios. But no woman from the BC category has become a minister till now. Ushasri Charan, who holds a BSc degree in Life Sciences and M.Sc in Environmental Studies, had earlier worked as Telugu Desam Party state general secretary of the women's wing but later resigned and joined YSRCP in 2019.