G. Kishan Reddy

Some Lesser Known Facts About G. Kishan Reddy

• While studying in college, G. Kishan Reddy became a pracharak for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Andhra Pradesh. Reddy mentioned in an interview that his decision to join the RSS was influenced by the life and accomplishments of Jayaprakash Narayan who led the JP Movement in the 1970s.

• As part of a delegation consisting of five young political leaders, including Narendra Modi, he visited the United States in 1994 upon receiving an invitation from the American Council for Young Political Leaders. During his time there, he conducted research on the American political system.

  

• In the same year, he went on a trip to the United Kingdom, France, Canada, and Nepal to examine the policies aimed at young people that were put into practice in those nations.

• He was selected to serve as a member of the Committee for National Youth Programmes in 1994.

• After receiving an invitation from the China Youth Federation, he visited China while holding the position of National President of BJYM.

• During his tenure as the president of the BJYM, he founded the World Youth Council Against Terrorism (WYCAT), an apolitical group with the mission to fight against terrorism on a global scale. Additionally, he assumed the position of the council’s international chairman.

  

• Afterwards, under WYCAT, he founded the International Youth Conference Against Terrorism (IYCAT) in New Delhi. The inaugural meeting saw the participation of over 193 delegates from 54 different countries.

• Reddy was selected as a member of the drafting committee for the National Youth Policy while Atal Bihari Vajpayee was serving as the Prime Minister of India.

• Afterwards, he arranged the Seema Suraksha Jagaran Yatra to express solidarity with the inhabitants of border regions who were experiencing hostility. The objective was to highlight the significance of heightened awareness and vigilance from the public and the government to ensure the safety of borders. He embarked on a 45-day expedition, travelling more than 1200 km by road across eight states, and visited the villages situated along the borders with Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, and Nepal.

• He received an invitation to participate in the World Vision – 2000 conference that took place in Washington, D.C.

• In the same year, Reddy was selected to serve on the national steering committee of the Government of India-organised Vandemataram New Millennium celebrations.

• He travelled to Israel on 26 July 2003, as a representative of BJYM. He led the delegation intending to enhance bilateral and trade relations.

• He had a significant part in the movement for the creation of the separate state of Telangana. On 19 January 2012, he embarked on a 25-day journey known as the Telangana Poru Yatra to separate Telangana from Andhra Pradesh. Reportedly, in 25 days, he gave speeches at 333 gatherings.

• He won the 2014 Andhra Pradesh elections by a margin of 62,598 votes, defeating his nearest rival Aedla Sudhakar Reddy of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

• G. Kishan Reddy gained recognition for his strong commitment to social activism, specifically in advocating for children. While serving as an MLA in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, he collaborated with Manda Krishna Madiga, the leader of MRPS, to launch a campaign urging the Andhra Pradesh government to implement a policy that would cater to the requirements of disadvantaged families with children who have heart conditions.

• Following the creation of Telangana, he became a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of the Telangana assembly on 2 June 2014.

• In the 2018 Telangana Legislative Assembly elections, K. Venkatesham, a member of BRS, registered a victory over Reddy by a margin of 1,016 votes.

• In 2019, he contested the Lok Sabha elections representing the Secunderabad constituency and won against his closest competitor, Talasani Sai Kiran Yadav, a candidate of the BRS party, with a lead of 62,114 votes.

  

• During his tenure as a Minister of State (MoS), he penned a letter to K. Chandrashekar Rao, the chief minister of Telangana, urging the reinstatement of MMTS services within Hyderabad owing to an increase in the need for local public transportation.

  

• He went to Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in 2022.

  

• In a June 2022 press conference held in New Delhi, G. Kishan Reddy shared with the media that the Indian government’s Agniveer scheme aimed at providing training in different occupations to recruits of the Indian Armed Forces. The professions included drivers, washermen, barbers, electricians, and more. The main goal of this program was to enable these individuals to find employment more easily once they completed their service in the armed forces. However, when questioned by the media about the existing Skill Development Corporations responsible for training young people in various skills, Reddy responded by stating,
  

  Is there any rule that they should not be trained with these skills.”

  The netizens, however, reacted unfavourably to his statement, expressing criticism towards Reddy and the Indian government for implementing a scheme in the military that lacks any meaningful objective. ^[9]Telangana Today

• In June 2022, the residents of the Secunderabad constituency staged a protest against Reddy for his reported prolonged absence from the constituency.

• Reddy, while serving as the Minister of Tourism, introduced the Best Tourism Village Competition Portal, Rural Tourism Portal, and the Global Tourism Investor Summit 2023 Portal on 16 February 2023. The main objective behind these initiatives was to encourage greater tourist influx and investments in India.

• He participated in the G20 Summit held in Kashmir in May 2023, where he delivered the opening speech to greet the guests. Additionally, he had a significant involvement in formulating and introducing the Goa Roadmap for Tourism, which received unanimous approval from all the G20 Summit attendees. While giving an interview, he said,
  

  Except for Egypt and China, delegates from all countries were present. More than 130 delegates participated in the event. It was a very successful meeting. Goa declaration has been adopted there. After all, countries have spoken to the officials of their respective countries, everyone has given recommendations. Unanimously Goa declaration has been adopted making it a successful event.”

  

• G. Kishan Reddy took over as the president of the BJP in Telangana, replacing Bandi Sanjay Kumar, in July 2023. In an interview, he talked about it and said,
  

  I had never asked for any post in the party or sought to become a Cabinet Minister at the Centre. I just followed orders since 1980. The party is my life. The leadership must have considered a lot of issues before appointing me. The goal is to ensure that the party comes to power in Telangana. I will be meeting all the leaders soon to chalk out an action plan for the up coming elections. First, we we will discuss making the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Warangal a success.”

  

• G. Kishan Reddy has served in various roles including the national secretary of the Indian Council of Political Leaders affiliated with the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL), the chairman of the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Home Guards Welfare Association and the Telangana Kabbadi Association, and the international vice chairman of the Afro Asia Youth Council.

• He has travelled to Morocco, Malaysia, Bulgaria, Singapore, Egypt, Bangkok, Hong Kong, France, and the United Kingdom to participate in international conferences focused on terrorism.

• He has written two books, namely Seema Suraksha and Jagran Yatra (2000).

A photo of the residents of the Secunderabad constituency holding a missing banner