Female CM for AP, Telangana?

Indian political class talk of women empowerment, upliftment and reservations. However, all that for many decades has remained a distant dream. But at least in some states, political leaders anoinated their wives as chief ministers so that they can rule without any break during crisis.

One can remember how Lalu Prasad Yadav once made his wife Rabri Devi the Chief Minister of Bihar. But in states like Tamil Nadu,West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Jayalalithaa, Mamata Bannerjee and Mayawati showed woman power by becoming chief ministers outwitting the wily and seasoned male politicians.

However, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana has never witnessed any women politicians making the cut. They are just confined to playing second fiddle to male counter parts. Andhra Pradesh has seen women politicians like Geeta Reddy, Sabita Indira Reddy in Congress, Paritala Sunitha, DK Aruna and now Telangana's Kavitha in the TRS. Now, Sharmila is making waves in YSRCP. However, she is now and then sidelined by her brother and party president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and his Telangana counterpart K Chandrashekar Rao too control their women politicians and never allow them to clinch the top post. Under these circumstances can Andhra or Telangana ever see a woman CM in the distant future? Only surprises and political shakeups can perhaps make that a reality.

By Pramod Nandivada