Pawan Kalyan Receives Warm Welcome on First Visit to Andhra Pradesh Secretariat as Deputy Chief Minister

On Tuesday, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan made his inaugural visit to the State Secretariat, receiving a warm welcome from his Cabinet colleagues and officials. The actor-turned-politician, who was recently appointed as Deputy Chief Minister, paid a courtesy visit to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Chief Minister Naidu greeted Kalyan with a hug and a bouquet, marking a cordial start to Kalyan’s tenure. The new Deputy Chief Minister then toured his chambers in the Secretariat. Kalyan has been assigned the portfolios of Panchayati Raj, Rural Development & Rural Water Supply; Environment, Forest, and Science & Technology, and he is set to officially assume office on Wednesday.

Kalyan was accompanied by fellow Jana Sena ministers Nadendla Manohar and Kandula Durgesh during his visit. On his arrival in Amaravati, Kalyan was met with a grand reception. Farmers from Amaravati village, Jana Sena workers, and fans greeted him by showering petals and celebrating his arrival like a roadshow. Standing in a car and looking out of the sunroof, Kalyan waved to the cheering crowd and was garlanded using a crane.

Amaravati farmers, hopeful about the construction of the state capital under the new TDP-Jana Sena-BJP government, extended a similar welcome to Chandrababu Naidu last week when he assumed office. Pawan Kalyan has been a vocal supporter of the Amaravati farmers, especially during their protests against the previous government’s decision to develop three state capitals.

Earlier, Kalyan received an enthusiastic reception at Gannavaram Airport, Vijayawada, marking his first visit since taking the oath on June 12. He later inspected a government building in Vijayawada that will serve as his camp office, with his residence on the upper floor and his office on the ground floor, complete with an adjacent meeting hall. Kalyan suggested some changes to the premises before heading to the Jana Sena head office.

In the recent elections, the TDP-Jana Sena-BJP alliance secured a landslide victory, winning 164 out of 175 Assembly seats and 21 out of 25 Lok Sabha seats. The Jana Sena secured all 21 Assembly seats and two Lok Sabha seats it contested. The party has been allocated three Cabinet berths, with Manohar appointed as Minister for Food & Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, and Durgesh overseeing Tourism, Culture & Cinematography.