In a ceremonial event accompanied by Vedic chants, actor-politician Pawan Kalyan officially took over as the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh in Vijayawada on Wednesday.
Amidst felicitations from Janasena leaders and well-wishers, Pawan Kalyan, the first-time minister representing the Pithapuram assembly constituency, is set to dive into his new role. The Deputy Chief Minister is scheduled to engage in review meetings with senior officials later in the day.
Assigned by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu earlier this week, Pawan Kalyan is entrusted with the responsibilities of Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, Rural Water Supply, Environment and Forests, and Science and Technology portfolios.
Following his victory over his rival Vanga Geetha from the YSR Congress Party in the recently concluded state polls, Pawan Kalyan secured the Pithapuram assembly seat by a significant margin of over 70,000 votes.
Having achieved a remarkable 100 per cent success rate in both assembly and Lok Sabha elections, the Janasena Party, in alliance with the TDP and BJP, emerged victorious in all 21 assembly seats and two Lok Sabha seats contested. The NDA coalition, comprising these three parties, collectively secured 164 out of 175 seats, with the TDP clinching 135 seats and the BJP securing 8 seats.
Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded Pawan Kalyan as a force to reckon with, describing him as a "storm" during his remarks on June 7. Despite initial hesitance due to his busy acting commitments, Pawan Kalyan ultimately decided to join the cabinet, driven by a sense of responsibility towards fulfilling electoral promises, as revealed by a Janasena leader in a statement to the Hindustan Times.
Having founded the Janasena Party in March 2014, Pawan Kalyan's journey into mainstream politics reflects upon his ministerial role, symbolising a new chapter in his mission for bringing in societal change and development in Andhra Pradesh.