Hyderabad, May 26
Andhra Pradesh has got its first woman home minister with P Sabitha Indra Reddy being chosen for the key post. While allotting the portfolios for his 35-member Cabinet, Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy sprang a surprise by entrusting home ministry to 46-year-old Sabitha, a three-time legislator. She was elected from the Maheshwaram constituency on the city outskirts in the recently held elections.

Sabitha, who is referred to as “Chevella Chellemma” (My sister from Chevella) by the Chief Minister, becomes the first woman home minister in the 53-year-old history of the state.

She replaces K Jana Reddy, who was among four senior ministers dropped by the Chief Minister while constituting the new Cabinet for his second successive term.

Sabitha, who was minister for mines and geology in the previous Cabinet, is the widow of P Indra Reddy, who had served as home minister in N T Rama Rao's Cabinet in 1994-95.

“I feel humbled to be chosen for the post. This shows the Chief Minister’s commitment for women empowerment and the recognition that women are capable of taking up any kind of challenges,” Sabitha said.

The Chief Minister shares a special rapport with Sabitha and addresses her as his sister at public functions. Reddy makes it a point to launch all important programmes, including election campaigns, from Chevella, the constituency earlier represented by Sabitha.

He considers the place lucky for him as it was a 1,500-km-long 'padyatra' launched from there in 2003 that catapulted him to power the following year. Similarly, he launched his party’s campaign for 2009 polls from the same town and rode to power.

Meanwhile, senior ministers K Rosaiah, D Prasada Rao, N Raghuveera Reddy and P Lakshmaiah retained their old portfolios of finance, revenue, agriculture and major irrigation, respectively.

The CM announced the portfolios to the new ministers who were sworn in yesterday. J Geeta Reddy, who was minister for major industries in the previous Cabinet, is the new information and tourism minister, while K Venkat Reddy, one of the 20 new faces in the Cabinet, is the minister for information technology.