Etela Rajender Explained

Etela Rajender
Office:Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
Constituency:Malkajgiri
Term Start:4 June 2024
Predecessor:Revanth Reddy
Office1:Minister of Health, Medical and Family Welfare
Government of Telangana
Term Start1:12 February 2019
Term End1:1 May 2021
Governor1:
1Blankname1:Chief Minister
1Namedata1:K. Chandrashekar Rao
Predecessor1:C. Laxma Reddy
Successor1:T. Harish Rao
Office2:Minister of Finance
Government of Telangana
Term Start2:2 June 2014
Term End2:6 September 2018
Governor2:E. S. L. Narasimhan
1Blankname2:Chief Minister
1Namedata2:K. Chandrashekar Rao
Predecessor2:Office established
Successor2:T. Harish Rao
Office3:Member of Legislative Assembly, Telangana
Constituency3:Huzurabad
Term Start3:2 June 2014
Predecessor3:Telangana Assembly created
Term End3:7 December 2023
Successor3:Kaushik Reddy
Office4:Member of Legislative Assembly, Andhra Pradesh
Term Start5:2009
Term End5:2014
Predecessor5:Constituency established
Successor5:Telangana Assembly created
Constituency5:Huzurabad
Constituency6:Kamalapur
Term Start6:2004
Predecessor6:Muddasani Damodar Reddy
Term End6:2009
Successor6:Constituency dissolved
Alma Mater:Osmania University (B.Sc)
Otherparty:Bharat Rashtra Samithi (2003–2021)
Party:Bharatiya Janata Party (since 2021)
Birth Date:1964 3, df=yes
Birth Place:Kamalapur, Andhra Pradesh (now in Telangana), India
Spouse:Jamuna
Children:2

Etela Rajender (born 20 March 1964) is an Indian politician from Telangana serving as the Member of Parliament from Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituency. He previously served as the first Finance Minister of Telangana from 2014 to 2018 and as the Health Minister of Telangana from 2019 to 2021.

Rajender represented Kamalapur Assembly constituency from 2004 to 2010 and Huzurabad Assembly constituency from 2010 to 2023 in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly and Telangana Legislative Assembly. He was a member of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) party until 2021, when he joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).[1] [2]

Political career

Rajender joined TRS in 2003.[3] He is recognised as a student leader with a left-wing ideology.

He was elected as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Kamalapur Assembly constituency in the 2004 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly election. He defeated the incumbent MLA Muddasani Damodar Reddy.[4] He served as the TRS floor leader in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly.[5] He resigned as the MLA in 2008 and was re-elected as an MLA from the same constituency in the 2008 by-election.[6] [7]

In 2009, the Kamalapur constituency was merged with Huzurabad Assembly constituency. He contested the 2009 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly election from Huzurabad constituency and won. In 2010 he resigned as the MLA and won the by-election.[8]

When Telangana state was established in 2014, he was appointed the Finance Minister of Telangana in the first K. Chandrashekar Rao ministry, and served until 2018.[9]

He contested the 2018 Telangana Legislative Assembly election and was re-elected as the MLA from Huzurabad constituency. In 2019, he took oath as the Minister of Health for Telangana.[10] As part of the 2018 election's declaration of assets by contestants, he has furnished in assets and was the richest among other ministers.[11]

In May 2021, Rajender, along with his followers and Jamuna Hatcheries, faced allegations of land encroachments in Achampet and Hakimpet villages in Medak district.[12] His ministerial portfolio was removed and he was subsequently dismissed from the state cabinet.[13] [14] Subsequently on 4 June, he resigned from TRS.[15] On 12 June, he resigned as MLA.[16]

On 14 June 2021, Rajender joined the BJP in the presence of BJP leaders Dharmendra Pradhan and G. Kishan Reddy.[17] He has also resigned as the president of Nampally Exhibition Society, which he held since 2014.[18] He contested the by-election held later that year and won as the MLA.[19]

In 2023 assembly elections, he contested from Huzurabad and Gazwel as BJP candidate and lost in both places to BRS candidates.[20] [21] In 2024 Loksabha elections he contested from Malkajgiri and won as MP with a huge margin of 3,91,475 votes against Congress's Patnam Sunitha Mahender Reddy.[22]

Member of Legislative Assembly

Term ConstituencyPolitical party
2004–2008Kamalapur
2008–2009Kamalapur (re-elected in bypoll after resignation)
2009–2010
2010–2014Huzurabad (re-elected in bypoll after resignation)
2014–2018Huzurabad (after establishment of Telangana)
2018–2021
2021–2023 Huzurabad (re-elected in bypoll after resignation)

Member of Parliament

Personal life

Etela was born on 20 March 1964 into a Mudiraju family in Kamalapur, Hanumakonda district of present-day Telangana.[23] [24] He has studied B.Sc. from Osmania University in 1984. He married Jamuna, who owns Jamuna Hatcheries.[25] The couple has two children, a son and a daughter.[26] [27]

Notes and References

  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20100128083014/http://www.hindu.com/2010/01/23/stories/2010012356860300.htm ‘Government trying to crush Telangana movement’ - ANDHRA PRADESH
  2. http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/portfolios-of-the-council-of-ministers-in-telangana/article6075327.ece Portfolios of the Council of Ministers in Telangana
  3. News: 12 June 2021. Sacked Telangana Minister Eatala Rajender Resigns as TRS MLA, Likely to Join BJP. News18. 12 June 2021.
  4. News: K. M.. Dayashankar. 2 April 2014. Etela faces stiff competition. The Hindu. live. 7 January 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20140710061003/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/etela-faces-stiff-competition/article5859501.ece. 10 July 2014. 0971-751X.
  5. https://web.archive.org/web/20110811035033/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-11-30/hyderabad/28103239_1_k-chandrasekhar-rao-siddipet-trs KCR's Telangana drama shifts to jail
  6. News: K. M.. Dayashankar. 2 April 2014. Etela faces stiff competition. The Hindu. live. 7 January 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20140710061003/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/etela-faces-stiff-competition/article5859501.ece. 10 July 2014. 0971-751X.
  7. News: Mohammed. Siddique. 1 June 2008. Andhra bypolls: TRS suffers shocking defeat. Rediff News. live. 7 January 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20210213220634/https://www.rediff.com/news/2008/jun/01trs.htm. 13 February 2021.
  8. News: K. M.. Dayashankar. 2 April 2014. Etela faces stiff competition. The Hindu. live. 7 January 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20140710061003/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/etela-faces-stiff-competition/article5859501.ece. 10 July 2014. 0971-751X.
  9. News: 14 November 2014. Eatala Rajender justifies budgetary allocations. The Hindu. live. 14 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210505191010/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/eatala-rajender-justifies-budgetary-allocations/article6600242.ece. 5 May 2021. 0971-751X.
  10. News: Rahul. N.. 19 February 2019. Ten new Ministers sworn in. The Hindu. live. 1 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210501095548/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/ten-new-ministers-sworn-in/article26314787.ece. 1 May 2021. 0971-751X.
  11. News: 21 November 2018. Worth over Rs 3 billion, meet the richest candidate in Telangana polls 2018. Business Standard. 17 June 2021.
  12. News: 14 June 2021. Former Telangana Health Minister Etela Rajender Joins BJP. Outlook. 14 June 2021.
  13. News: 1 May 2021. Telangana CM KCR Takes Away Health Minister's Portfolio Over Land Grabbing Allegations. News18. 14 June 2021.
  14. Web site: Telangana: Eatala Rajender dropped from State Cabinet. dead. 2021-05-03. Telangana Today. en-US. 3 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210503093246/https://telanganatoday.com/telangana-eatala-rajender-dropped-from-state-cabinet.
  15. News: 4 June 2021. Former Telangana minister Etela Rajender resigns from TRS, likely to join BJP. The Indian Express. 4 June 2021.
  16. News: 12 June 2021. Former TRS minister Etela Rajender resigns as MLA, set to join BJP. Business Standard. 12 June 2021.
  17. News: 14 June 2021. Former Telangana minister Etela Rajender joins BJP. The Indian Express. 14 June 2021.
  18. News: 16 June 2021. Etela Rajender Quits Another Key Post. Sakshi. 17 June 2021.
  19. News: P.. Sridhar. 2 November 2021. Eatala wins Huzurabad for BJP. The Hindu. live. 7 January 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20211118191940/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/eatala-wins-huzurabad-for-bjp/article37312495.ece. 18 November 2021. 0971-751X.
  20. News: Telangana election result: KCR wins from Gajwel constituency, loses in Kamareddy . 2023-12-03 . India Today.
  21. News: Huzurabad Assembly Election Results 2023 Highlights: BRS's Kaushik Reddy Padi defeats BJP's Eatala Rajendar with 16873 votes . 2023-12-04 . India Today.
  22. News: Election Commision of India . 2024 Loksabha Elections Results - Malkajgiri . 18 June 2024 . 4 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240618172459/https://results.eci.gov.in/PcResultGenJune2024/candidateswise-S297.htm . 18 June 2024.
  23. Web site: Member's Profile - Telangana-Legislature: SRI EATALA RAJENDER. 2021-06-16. Telangana Legislature.
  24. Web site: K. Sammaiah. 20 March 2021. Eatala Rajender Birthday Special: ఉద్యమకారుడి నుంచి రాష్ట్ర మంత్రివరకు.. ప్రజానేత ప్రస్థానం - Minister Eatala Rajender Birthday. 12 June 2021. TV9 Telugu. te.
  25. News: 30 May 2021. Seemandhra rulers better than KCR: Etela wife Jamuna!. Telugu360. 4 June 2021.
  26. News: 19 June 2017. Etela Rajender's non-veg feast invitation for OU students faces flak. The Hans India. 4 June 2021.
  27. News: Bandari. Pawan Kumar. 15 November 2019. Telangana CM KCR, governor and ministers attends Etela Rajender's daughter's marriage in Hyderabad. The Hans India. 4 June 2021.