Congress leader Revanth Reddy takes oath as Telangana Chief Minister administered by the state Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, in Hyderabad, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023.
Credit: PTI Photo
Hyderabad: Amid a sea of supporters Anumula Revanth Reddy, who led Congress to a stupendous victory, was sworn in as Telangana chief minister at LB stadium here on Thursday.
Along with Revanth Reddy 11 more have been sworn in as ministers of the new state cabinet. Madhira MLA and senior Congress leader, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka has taken oath as deputy chief minister.
Huzurnagar MLA Uttam Kumar Reddy, Andole MLA Damodar Rajanarasimha, Nalgonda MLA Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Manthani MLA Duddilla Sridhar Babu, Palair MLA Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, Husnabad MLA Ponnam Prabhakar, Warangal East MLA Konda Surekha, Khammam MLA Tummala Nageswara Rao, Kollapur MLA Jupally Krishna Rao, Mulugu MLA Danasari Anasuya alias Seethakka took oath as ministers.
Congress chief ministers of Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Siddaramaiah respectively, attended the swearing-in along with the party's top brass of AICC president, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.
While invitations were extended to chief ministers of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, both M K Stalin and Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy gave the program a miss.
After taking the oath, addressing the huge gathering, Revanth Reddy vowed to deliver people's governance and the people had freed Telangana from the shackles of misrule of the last one decade.
Revanth Reddy said as he was taking oath, iron fencing around Pragathi Bhavan- official residence of the Telangana chief minister where BRS supremo K Chandrashekar Rao lived for the past 10 years, has been removed.
He said from tomorrow onwards everyone who would want to be part of the state's progress are welcomed there. While renaming Pragathi Bhavan as Jyothi Rao Phule Praja Bhavan, he said a Praja Darbar will be conducted at 10 am on Friday where public grievances will be received.
“Telangana state was formed on the foundations of struggles and sacrifices. Telangana was formed with the determination of Sonia Gandhi with an anticipation for freedom, social justice and equal development. After a decade people have ended autocracy. Now, people's government was formed. We broke the iron fences of the Pragati Bhavan just before the swearing-in ceremony. As the chief minister of the state, I promise people are partners in the government. Today we broke the fences around Pragati Bhavan," Reddy said.
"Tomorrow we will hold Praja Darbar at 10 am at Jyoti Rao Phule Praja Bhavan. We are not rulers. We are servants. We will utilize the opportunity given by you for the development of this region. We will take this as a responsibility. I remember the hard work put in and sacrifices made by party workers in all these years and I promise to reward them,” said Revanth Reddy.
Signature on files to six guarantees & job to differently abled
Immediately, after taking oath that was administered by governor Tamilsai Soundarrajan, Revanth Reddy signed two files. First one is related to the implementation of six guarantees and process for enactment of Abhaya Hastham Act and the second belongs to the job to a disabled woman Rajini.
Six guarantees that were announced by Congress using Karnataka's template of 5 guarantees has helped the grand old party to wrest power from BRS. During the campaign, Reddy promised that if Congress comes to power in Telangana, the chief minister's first signature will be on the file related to six guarantees.
Another important promise that had catapulted Congress to power was introduction of an annual job calendar, with the first job in Telangana earmarked for a differently abled woman Rajini.
Few months ago the then TPCC president Revanth Reddy personally assured Rajini, a differently abled woman from Nampally that she would be the first beneficiary of this employment initiative after the party assumed power.
Rajini once approached Revanth Reddy citing that despite holding postgraduate qualifications, she has been struggling to find a job. Fulfilling his promise, Revanth Reddy handed over the appointment letter to Rajini.
Tried to balance caste matrix
Revanth Reddy tried to strike a fine balance of social justice in picking his cabinet colleagues. Two dalits - one Mala and one Madiga, an ST, three Reddys, one Velama, Two BCs, one Brahmin and a Kamma found place in the cabinet. Revanth Reddy may induct seven more in his cabinet in the coming days.
From naxalite to minister
Danasari Anasuya alias Seethakka, who had won as an MLA for third time from Mulugu ST reserved segment, now sworn in as the minister is a former naxalite. She had also led naxal troops as a commander in the past.
She left the insurgent group in1997, studied law and then joined politics. Last year she had also earned a PhD for her research on the conditions of Gotti Koyas, the tribe she belongs to. She joined the Janashakti Naxal group when she was 14 years old in 1987.
After an eleven-year stint in Naxalism Seethakka surrendered to the police under the general amnesty plan in 1997. She entered politics joining TDP in 2004. She lost her debut election from Mulugu. Later in 2009 she was elected from the same segment.
In 2014, she lost to BRS candidate Azmeera Chandu Lal. In 2017 along with Revanthh Reddy she quit TDP and joined Congress. She won on a Congress ticket in 2018 and now in 2023.She shot to fame for her work during distressing Covid times.