Pawan Kalyan assumes charge as Andhra Dy CM

Vijayawada: Actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan on Wednesday assumed charge from his chambers as the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh amid chanting of vedic hymns.

Immediately after assuming charge, Pawan Kalyan, a first-time MLA, held a preliminary meeting with the officials of the departments allotted to him by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu after his Jana Sena Party achieved 100 per cent strike rate by winning 21 Assembly and two Lok Sabha seats from where it put up candidates as part of the three-party alliance with the BJP. Pawan, who won from Pithapuram in Kakinada district with a big margin, has been allotted Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, Rural Water Supply, Environment, Forest, Science and Technology.

“Rural development is a challenging task. I look forward to discharging my duties after NDA posted a spectacular win by dislodging the YSRCP from power,” he said after taking charge in his chambers. Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Nadendla Manohar, Minister for Tourism and Cinematography Kandula Durgesh, both from JSP and several of his supporters and family members were present.