AP’s face in Modi’s cabinet

AP’s face in Modi’s cabinet
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AP’s face in Modi’s cabinet. With politicians from the BJP and the TDP faring well in Seemandhra and in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh is surely going to have a good representation in Narendra Modi’s cabinet.

With politicians from the BJP and the TDP faring well in Seemandhra and in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh is surely going to have a good representation in Narendra Modi’s cabinet. The first phase of the cabinet, which would be inducted today, right after Modi’s swearing-in ceremony, is expected to include faces like TDP’s Ashok Gajapathi Raju and BJP’s Bandaru Dattatreya from the state. Here’s a brief profile of both the MPs who will be part of the first inductees in Modi’s cabinet.

Ashok Gajapathi Raju, MP, Vizianagaram

The scion of the Pusapati royal family is one of the senior most political leaders from Andhra Pradesh. In a political career spanning nearly 35 years, 62-year-old Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju has been elected MLA seven times and has helmed various ministries in the Andhra Pradesh cabinet. For the first time he contested for the MP seat from Vizianagaram and won with a thumping majority. He is likely to be inducted in Narendra Modi’s cabinet today.

Ashok Gajapathi Raju, born on June 16, 1951, pursued his education in Gwalior Scindia School, Hyderabad Public School and VS Krishna College, Visakhapatnam. He was elected from the Vizianagaram Assembly Constituency for the first time as the Janata Party candidate in 1978. When NT Rama Rao started the Telugu Desam Party, he joined the party and won five times in a row. He lost the 2004 polls to K Veerabhadra Swamy of the Congress but reclaimed his seat in 2009.

He held office as the excise minister and commercial taxes minister in NT Rama Rao’s cabinet. Later, he held finance and legislative affairs and revenue portfolios in Chandrababu Naidu’s cabinet.

Bandaru Dattatreya, MP, Secunderabad

Bandaru Dattatreya, who was once known as the face of Secunderabad, represented the constituency four times. After a gap of a decade, he was re-elected to represent the people of Secunderabad in the Lok Sabha.

Dattatreya was born on February 26, 1947. He graduated in the B.Sc stream from Anwar Ul Uloom College in 1968. In politics, he started his career with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He worked as a pracharak before joining the BJP. Known for his soft spoken and compassionate nature which made him popular with people, Dattatreya held the Urban Development Ministry in Vajpayee government. He also briefly held the Railways portfolio as a Minister of State. He was also a member of various boards such as Tobacco Board and Coconut Board and committees such as Railway Advisory Committee and Telephone Advisory Committee between 1991 and 1996.

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