G. Kishan Reddy, the newly re-elected BJP Telangana president, took his oath as a Union minister on Sunday, marking his second term in office.
At 64, Reddy retained his Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency by defeating his nearest rival, Congress candidate Danam Nagender, with a margin of over 49,000 votes.
Born to middle-class farmer parents in Ranga Reddy district near Hyderabad, Reddy began his political career as an ordinary worker in 1977. Over the years, he has held various significant positions within the BJP, including the state unit president and the national president of the BJP Yuva Morcha (BJYM).
As a Union minister, he has overseen portfolios including home, tourism, culture, and the development of the Northeast region. His legislative career is equally distinguished, with three terms as an MLA.
Affectionately known as 'Kishan Anna' among party workers and leaders, Reddy began his political journey with the Janata Party before joining the BJP at its inception in 1980. He steadily rose through the ranks, starting as the convener of the BJYM Ranga Reddy district committee in 1980-81 and becoming the state president of BJYM in undivided Andhra Pradesh in 1986.
From 2002 to 2004, Reddy served as the national president of BJYM. During his tenure, he founded the World Youth Council Against Terrorism (WYCAT), an apolitical organization aimed at combating global terrorism. Under the auspices of WYCAT, he organized the International Youth Conference Against Terrorism (IYCT) in New Delhi.
Reddy was first elected as an MLA in 2004 and won re-election in 2009 and 2014. He served as the president of the BJP in undivided Andhra Pradesh from March 2010 to March 2014 and became the first president of the BJP in the newly formed state of Telangana in 2014. He also served as the party's floor leader in the Telangana Legislative Assembly from 2016 to 2018.
In 2019, Reddy was elected to the Lok Sabha from Secunderabad and was appointed as MoS (Home) in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.