Hyderabad: Tummala Nageswara Rao got ministries in all Telugu political parties

Hyderabad : One of the well-known politicians whose political career spans more than four decades, Tummala Nageswara Rao’s political gamble of joining Congress just before the election paid off.

Composite Khammam district’s renowned face was on Thursday sworn in as a Minister in the newly formed State government. His long political career has seen him serve in ministerial positions under both the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and TRS (now BRS) parties. Born on November 15, 1953, Tummala began his political journey with the TDP in 1982. His political roots lie in the Satthupalli constituency, from where he contested his first election in 1983, though he was defeated. However, his perseverance paid off when he won the by-election held within a year and a half, leading to his first ministerial appointment under the Chief Minister of N T Rama Rao.

Nageswara Rao’s political career has been one of both triumphs and setbacks. He successfully retained his Assembly seat in 1985, 1994, 1999, and 2009 on the TDP ticket. In 2014, he switched allegiance to the TRS, winning the Paleru by-election but losing the subsequent 2018 elections.

In September 2023, Nageswara Rao resigned from the BRS and joined the Congress which fielded him as a candidate in the 2023 Assembly elections.