From NRI in Gulf to MLA in Telangana: The journey of Paidi Rakesh Reddy

The newly-elected MLA of Armoor constituency in Nizamabad district, Rakesh Reddy was a former NRI who worked in Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates.

Jeddah: Not all Gulf NRIs hailing from Telangana are blue-collar workers, though many of them reach the Arabian deserts with minor jobs. However, some of them have gone on to become successful entrepreneurs. Paidi Rakesh Reddy is adding one more ambitious category to the list, that of a successful politician.

The newly-elected MLA of Armoor constituency in Nizamabad district, Rakesh Reddy was a former NRI who worked in Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates. Starting off as a driver in the 1990s in Al Ain near Abu Dhabi, he not only earned but learned how to chart out his own path of success, setting up his own business which later expanded to multiple countries.

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A Class 8 drop out in 1980, according to his election affidavit, Rakesh Reddy is into the import-exports, real estate and hospitality business in Hyderabad and elsewhere. Born in Ankapur village of Armoor mandal, he has also established an NGO that is involved in various developmental and philanthropic activities in the area. His wife Revathi Reddy and daughter Sucharita also enthusiastically support him in reaching out to masses through the NGO known as Rakesh Reddy Foundation.

Rakesh Reddy plunged into politics just five months ago and joined the BJP to contest as the BJP candidate from Armoor and won the seat with the majority of 29,669 votes against Congress candidate P Vinay Kumar Reddy.

He is instrumental behind the BJP’s promise of Gulf NRI welfare measures that was declared in its manifesto and also announced by Home Minister Amit Shah during the poll campaign in Armoor.

“The tears still don’t dry when I remember the poverty ridden days that forced me to head to the Gulf,” says Rakesh Reddy. Speaking with ‘Telangana Today’ over phone from India on Wednesday, he revealed that he had begun his life as construction labourer under a Siddipet mason in Fujirah in UAE in August 1987, after working odd jobs. He later became a driver and moved to Al Ain.

After returning to India in 1994, he stepped into the business of red sanders export and other business sectors from Hong Kong to Europe, the Gulf and North America.

Rakesh Reddy said he would fight for the welfare of Gulf NRIs and that he would try to establish exclusive Telangana Bhavans in the UAE and Saudi Arabia to cater the needs of the destitute and stranded Telangana NRIs.