As per one of the leading English daily's article on our beloved home minister:
A 48-year-old housewife transformed into a lady don of the district and is now accosted as 'Chevella Chellamma'. Unknown in politics when her husband Indra Reddy was in the forefront, a tragic road accident in which he was killed heralded her entry into state politics in 2003.
Home minister in the N T Rama Rao cabinet, Indra Reddy was known for his aggressive and militant behaviour and it was Y S Rajasekhara Reddy who lured him into the Congress and ensured that he got the party ticket from Chevella in the 1999 assembly elections. However, a tragic accident the very next year ended his life and brought his widow Sabita Reddy into the limelight. "When her husband was alive, she was a mere housewife who would serve tea from behind the veil," says an old-time politician who marvels at her metamorphosis and her body language oozing confidence and organisational skill.
Not many know the reason why Sabita became YSR's favourite and made him launch all his election and welfare campaigns from Chevella, the constituency which she began to represent after the death of her husband. Those in the know of things recall that a day before YSR launched his padayatra in 2003 against the rule of TDP's N Chandrababu Naidu, near Tipu Khan bridge on the outskirts of Hyderabad, some Congress workers led by then Ranga Reddy district Congress president K M Pratap erected a massive arch to welcome the Congress leader. However, on noticing that the portraits of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were bigger than that of YSR, a fuming Sabita engaged in a fight with the district Congress leaders and finally emerged victorious. Before YSR passed through, his was the biggest portrait and that ensured that she remained in his good books forever.
Storming into power in 2004, YSR bypassed several Congress veterans from Ranga Reddy district like P Rami Reddy, M J Manik Rao, Uma Venkatrami Reddy and Pratap, all of whom were proteges of either former chief minister Kotla Vijayabhaskar Reddy or city Congress leader V Hanumanth Rao, and made Sabita Indra Reddy mines and geology minister in his first cabinet. From that day, she grew from strength to strength and this has not diminished ever after the demise of YSR in 2009.
As mines minister throughout YSR's first term, her role in clearing many mining leases may come under the CBI scanner currently probing several cases related to the state. If inside sources are to believed she wanted some mine leases for her son too, but Jagan asked her to lay off. In his second term, YSR made her home minister in 2009 which in the context means that she is minister for jails and prohibition. But sources say that she dabbles in transfers and postings of Inspectors and Dy SPs . Now, she, her son Karthik Reddy (about whom many stories are doing the rounds), cousins, and other relatives, many of whom are in the TDP, are ruling the roost in Ranga Reddy district. As late as April 2011, Congress MLAs K L Reddy (Medchal), G Prasad Rao (Vikarabad) and B Raji Reddy (Uppal), complained about her to chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy. Local leaders had earlier lodged complaints with AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad as well.
All that can change with the AP High Court pondering a CBI investigation against her on the basis of allegations by fellow minister P Shankar Rao. If the CBI probe does take place, all her dealings right from when she became an MLA to a minister will come under the scanner. And what may come out could surprise many. ( Source : TNN)
