Has AP home minister become a mere show-doll? Is she confined to some inaugurations and a handful of ribbon-cuttings in her constituency? Is she becoming a mere dummy while proxies conduct the business on her behalf? The buzz in Amaravati is that government advisor Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy is the de facto home minister in AP.

Sources say that most decisions pertaining to the Home Ministry are taken by Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy. In fact, there are instances where he addressed the media on issues relating to the home ministry, while the minister herself is busy with some ribbon-cuttings. He is also being dubbed as the shadow home minister in AP.

Interestingly, home ministers have been reduced to the status of dummies in AP since 2004, when Sabitha Indra Reddy was made the Home Minister. The department was virtually a YSR fiefdom, with Sabhitha having nothing to do. Even during the TDP regime from 2014 till 2019, home minister Nimmakayala China Rajappa was a mere figure head. During his time, it was rumoured that appointments and transfers used to happen without his knowledge. Then, Lokesh Babu was said to be the de facto Home Minister.

In YSRCP’s case, both renegade MP Raghuramakrishnam Raju and former minister DL Ravindra Reddy have raised the issue of the home minister being reduced to being a showpiece. Some have even suggested that Sajjala should be made the home minister and Sucharita being given some other department.