Andhra Pradesh: Vegetable vendor made chairperson of Rayachoti municipality

In recently held elections for municipalities and municipal corporations in Andhra Pradesh, the ruling YSR Congress won 84 out of 86 municipalities and municipal corporations.

In a heartwarming gesture, a vegetable vendor, Shaikh Basha, has been made the chairperson of Rayachoti municipality in the Kadapa district.

Sheikh Basha's story is inspiring. A graduate but unemployed, Basha, had to sell vegetables to make ends meet. Little did Basha know that his life will take a surprising turn when he was made the councilor in his area.

As Rayachoti too was swept by YSRCP supported candidates, the chairperson too went to the ruling party and it was then Shaikh Basha's credentials caught the attention of YSRCP president and Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy who cleared Basha's name.

Overwhelmed by the opportunity given to him by the CM, Basha said,’ I thank CM Jagan Mohan Reddy for giving someone like me the opportunity to be the Chairperson of the Rayachoty Municipality. Despite being a degree holder, due to unemployment, I had to sell vegetables in my village to survive. I had no direction in life. Now, I have been elected to be the Chairperson of the municipality. The CM has given the maximum number of seats to the backward communities in the state. I  thank the CM for doing so and encouraging people from the economically backward sections of the society, like me.'

The important aspect of the selection of mayors and chairpersons of municipal corporations and municipalities respectively is 60.47 per cent of posts went to women and 78 per cent of posts to the backward communities, i.e, SCs/STs/BCs and minorities.