ZP chief post going to Arunamma, first woman from Anam family to enter politics

Nellore: Anam Arunamma, the YSR Congress nominee for the Nellore Zilla Parishad chairperson post, would be the first woman from the politically popular family to enter public life.

Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy himself handpicked her much to the surprise of everyone in the party as many leaders were eyeing the post. Her husband Anam Vijayakumar Reddy is the youngest of the Anam brothers, the late Vivekananda Reddy, Ramanarayana Reddy and Jayakumar Reddy being the others.

Though the family is in mainline politics for the last 80 years, no woman from the family had ever ventured into public life. Family members said it was that no situation arose for them to nominate their women to any political post.

In fact, the family members were surprised when the chief minister proposed her name at a time when they were, rather, expecting some post for the husband, Vijayakumar Reddy.

“We are pleased about the proposal because it came from the CM. No one from the family held any post in the Zilla Parishad during the last eight decades,” said Vijayakumar Reddy.

Vijayakumar Reddy’s longstanding relationship with the electorate of Nellore and the cooperation of Nellore rural legislator Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy as also city legislator and minister Anilkumar Yadav led to the unanimous election of Arunamma from Nellore rural segment.

Known in the relatives' circles as a good family governess, Arunamma was a home science student of DK Women’s College in Nellore. The couple’s son Karthikeya Reddy is married to the third daughter of former minister, DK Aruna, leader from another political family in Telangana.

Arunamma said, “I am happy because I am the first woman from the Anam family to serve the people. God, in the form of Jagan Mohan Reddy, gave me this opportunity.” Her election as ZP chairperson is only a formality since YSR Congress won all the 46 ZPTC seats in SPSR Nellore district without any hurdle.