Three ministerial positions for the joint East Godavari

RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: Three persons from the joint East Godavari district got berths in the state cabinet. Along with one deputy chief minister, two minister posts were given. The cabinet list was released on Tuesday midnight after discussions with top BJP leaders. Jana Sena chief and Pithapuram Constituency MLA Pawan Kalyan will take charge as Deputy Chief Minister. Nidadavolu Jana Sena MLA Kandula Durgesh and TDP MLA Vasamsetti Subhash who won from Ramachandrapuram got seats in the cabinet. Remarkably, all these three have won as MLAs for the first time. From the beginning, it was known that Pawan Kalyan would have a seat in the cabinet. Kandula Durgesh and Vasamsetti Subhash have come forward exceptionally.

Pawan grew from a movie hero to a political hero

Pawan Kalyan made his film debut in 1996 as Megastar Chiranjeevi's brother. He has a huge fan base. He entered politics in 2008. At that time, Chiranjeevi acted as the youth wing president of the Praja Rajyam Party. After that, he set up the Common Men Protection Force (CMPF) Trust and served. Pawan founded the Jana Sena Party in 2014 after the Praja Rajyam Party merged with the Congress. He did not contest the 2014 elections by supporting the alliance of Telugu Desam and BJP and contributed to their victory. The Jana Sena, which contested the elections in 2019, had a bitter experience. Pawan Kalyan lost both the places he contested. The party got only one MLA seat in the state, and that MLA also left Jana Sena and joined with YSRCP. Taking this as a lesson, Pawan Kalyan has vowed not to let the anti-government vote split the 2024 elections. He boldly announced an alliance with TDP while Chandrababu Naidu was in jail. Later he tried to include the BJP in the TDP-Janasena alliance and was successful. The NDA alliance formed on Pawan's initiative created history by winning 164 assembly seats and 21 MP seats in the state. This alliance also played a vital role in the formation of the Union Government. Jana Sena contested 21 Assembly and two Parliament seats and won all of them.

Durgesh rose from NGO to state cabinet

Kandula Durgesh, who belongs to the Kapu community, served as the president of the joint East Godavari District Janasena Party. He unsuccessfully tried for a Rajahmundry Rural ticket and contested from Nidavalu. Initially serving through an NGO. Durgesh also acted as a film producer. He entered the political arena through the Congress party. Also worked as MLC between 2004-2010. Worked as President of East Godavari District Congress. In the 2014 elections, he contested as Rajahmundry MP candidate from Congress and lost. Joined YSRCP in December 2016. Joined the Jana Sena party in August 2018. He contested as MLA from Rajahmundry Rural in the 2019 assembly elections and lost. He won the 2024 election from Nidadavolu and assumed the post of minister. Speaking to Hans India, Durgesh said he felt lucky to be a key partner in the efforts undertaken by TDP chief Chandrababu, Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, and BJP for the reconstruction of the state of Andhra Pradesh. He said that he would work for the comprehensive development of the district along with the state.

Voluntary service made Subhash a leader

Vasamsetti Subash belongs to the Settibalija (BC) community. He is a leader from Srirampuram village in Amalapuram mandal of Ambedkar Konaseema district in the united East Godavari. He won as a TDP candidate from Ramachandrapuram. He studied B.Sc., LLB. Both his mother and father served as municipal councilors of Amalapuram Municipality. Mother Krishnakumari is currently a Municipal Councilor. Subhash gained a foothold in the BC community through the SAF voluntary organization. Initially worked as joint secretary of YSRCP state youth wing. After the Amalapuram riots, he left YSRCP and joined the TDP. Vasamsetti Subhash said that joining the TDP, getting the MLA ticket, and getting a position in the cabinet all happened in just four months. He said that He would take this post as an advantage and work for the party and people. He said that all the castes supported him in the constituency, and he would support the development of all.