Etela Rajender

Etela Rajender (born 20 March 1964) is an Indian politician from Telangana. He served as the first Finance Minister of Telangana state from 2014 to 2018 and as the Health Minister of Telangana from 2019 to 2021.

In this Telugu name, the surname is Etela.

Etela Rajender
Etela in 2015
Member of the Telangana Legislative Assembly
Assumed office
2009
Preceded byV. Lakshmikantha Rao
ConstituencyHuzurabad
In office
2004–2009
Preceded byMuddasani Damodar Reddy
Succeeded byConstituency dissolved
ConstituencyKamalapur
Minister of Medical & Health and Family Welfare of Telangana
In office
12 February 2019 – 1 May 2021
Minister of Finance of Telangana
In office
2 June 2014 – 6 September 2018
Personal details
Born (1964-03-20) 20 March 1964
Kamalapur, Andhra Pradesh (now in Telangana), India
Political partyBharatiya Janata Party (2021–present)
Other political
affiliations		Bharat Rashtra Samithi (2003–2021)
SpouseJamuna
Children2
Alma materOsmania University (B.Sc)

Etela represented Kamalapur Assembly constituency from 2004 to 2010 and Huzurabad assembly constituency since 2010 in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly and Telangana Legislative Assembly from the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) party. In 2021, he joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and was re-elected as an MLA in the by election.[1][2]

Political career

Etela joined BRS in 2003.[3] He is recognised as a student leader with a left-wing ideology.[4]

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.[5] He served as the TRS floor leader in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly.[6] He resigned as the MLA in 2008 and was re-elected as an MLA from the Kamalapur constituency in the 2008 by-election.[5][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 as the MLA. In 2010 he resigned as the MLA and won the by-election.[5]

In 2014, he was appointed the Finance Minister of Telangana in the first K. Chandrashekar Rao ministry, and served until 2018.[8]

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.[9] As part of the 2018 election's declaration of assets by contestants, he has furnished ₹42.41 crore (equivalent to ₹57 crore or US$7.1 million in 2023) in assets and was the richest among other ministers.[10]

In May 2021, Etela, along with his followers and Jamuna Hatcheries, faced allegations of land encroachments in Achampet and Hakimpet villages in Medak district.[4][11] His ministerial portfolio was removed and he was subsequently dismissed from the state cabinet.[4][12] Subsequently on 4 June, he resigned from BRS.[13] On 12 June, he resigned as MLA.[14]

On 14 June 2021, Etela joined the BJP in the presence of BJP leaders Dharmendra Pradhan and G. Kishan Reddy.[15][11] He has also resigned as the president of Nampally Exhibition Society, which he held since 2014.[16] He contested the by-election held later that year and won as the MLA.[17]

Member of Legislative Assembly
Term Constituency Political party
2004–2008Kamalapur Telangana Rashtra Samithi
2008-2009 Kamalapur (re-elected in bypoll after resignation) Telangana Rashtra Samithi
2009–2010Huzurabad Telangana Rashtra Samithi
2010-2014 Huzurabad (re-elected in bypoll after resignation) Telangana Rashtra Samithi
2014–2018Huzurabad (after bifurcating Telangana) Telangana Rashtra Samithi
2018–2021Huzurabad Telangana Rashtra Samithi
2021– PresentHuzurabad (re-elected after resignation from TRS) Bharatiya Janata Party

Personal life

Etela was born on 20 March 1964 into a Mudiraju family in Kamalapur, Hanumakonda district of present-day Telangana.[18][19][13] He has studied B.Sc. from Osmania University in 1984.[19] He married Jamuna, who owns Jamuna Hatcheries.[20] The couple has two children, a son and a daughter.[21][22]

References
  1. ‘Government trying to crush Telangana movement’ - ANDHRA PRADESH. The Hindu (2010-01-23). Retrieved on 2016-01-13.
  2. Portfolios of the Council of Ministers in Telangana. The Hindu (2014-06-02). Retrieved on 2016-01-13.
  3. "Sacked Telangana Minister Eatala Rajender Resigns as TRS MLA, Likely to Join BJP". News18. 12 June 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  4. "Telangana CM KCR Takes Away Health Minister's Portfolio Over Land Grabbing Allegations". News18. 1 May 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  5. K. M., Dayashankar (2 April 2014). "Etela faces stiff competition". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 10 July 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  6. KCR's Telangana drama shifts to jail. Times of India (2009-11-30). Retrieved on 2016-01-13.
  7. Mohammed, Siddique (1 June 2008). "Andhra bypolls: TRS suffers shocking defeat". Rediff News. Archived from the original on 13 February 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  8. "Eatala Rajender justifies budgetary allocations". The Hindu. 14 November 2014. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  9. Rahul, N. (19 February 2019). "Ten new Ministers sworn in". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  10. "Worth over Rs 3 billion, meet the richest candidate in Telangana polls 2018". Business Standard. 21 November 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  11. "Former Telangana Health Minister Etela Rajender Joins BJP". Outlook. 14 June 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  12. "Telangana: Eatala Rajender dropped from State Cabinet". Telangana Today. Archived from the original on 3 May 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  13. "Former Telangana minister Etela Rajender resigns from TRS, likely to join BJP". The Indian Express. 4 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  14. "Former TRS minister Etela Rajender resigns as MLA, set to join BJP". Business Standard. 12 June 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  15. "Former Telangana minister Etela Rajender joins BJP". The Indian Express. 14 June 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  16. "Etela Rajender Quits Another Key Post". Sakshi. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  17. P., Sridhar (2 November 2021). "Eatala wins Huzurabad for BJP". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  18. "Member's Profile - Telangana-Legislature: SRI EATALA RAJENDER". Telangana Legislature. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  19. K, Sammaiah (20 March 2021). "Eatala Rajender Birthday Special: ఉద్యమకారుడి నుంచి రాష్ట్ర మంత్రివరకు.. ప్రజానేత ప్రస్థానం - Minister Eatala Rajender Birthday". TV9 Telugu (in Telugu). Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  20. "Seemandhra rulers better than KCR: Etela wife Jamuna!". Telugu360. 30 May 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  21. "Etela Rajender's non-veg feast invitation for OU students faces flak". The Hans India. 19 June 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  22. Bandari, Pawan Kumar (15 November 2019). "Telangana CM KCR, governor and ministers attends Etela Rajender's daughter's marriage in Hyderabad". The Hans India. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
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