Payyavula Keshav: A man of dynamism

Uravakonda : Payyavula Keshav, the 59-year-old dynamic MLA of Uravakonda had on several occasions proved his mettle but the crowning hour of his glory came only in 2024 when he was picked for the crucial Cabinet portfolio by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at a time when the state is in financial cross-roads as never before.

Keshav was mostly on the wrong side of politics wherein he had a record of winning election when his party is out of power and losing when the party is in power. In 2024 he overrode even this sentiment rubbishing superstition and winning his Uravakonda seat just when his party bounced back to power in 2024.

He proved that nobody could brow-beat destiny and much to the surprise of one and all, he revenged the past sentiments by even occupying the number two position in the cabinet, portfolio wise.

At the age of 29, TDP founder president NT Rama Rao asked him to contest election from Uravakonda in 1994 and won. In 2004 and in 2009 too he was elected MLA from Uravakonda and again in 2019 he got elected at the height of Jagan wave.

Chandrababu Naidu, Nandamuri Balakrishna and Payyavula Keshav were the only ones who became MLAS in Rayalaseema in 2019. Keshav contested six times as MLA but won four times. In 2014 he lost the election and in 2015 he got elected as MLC.

Keshav’s father Payyavula Venkatanarayana was also an MLA from Rayadurg constituency. His father served as District Congress Committee president. Keshav is the youngest son among a family of five daughters and two sons.

Hailing from a family of landlords who owned 2,000 acre land before the land ceiling Act came into vogue, his family had a tiff with the People’s War Group, a Left wing extremist group. Back in 1990s the Maoists set ablaze his houses twice to express their ire at the landlords. Keshav was the class enemy of PWG being in electoral politics.

In 2019, he became popular as Public Accounts Committee chairman and held media conferences often exposing financial irregularities by pointing out CAG reports and indictments and also the indiscriminate borrowings of the Jagan Mohan Reddy government.

He proved himself loyal to his boss Naidu by being proactive during his arrest crisis by camping either in Rajahmundry or Vijayawada and making himself available to the party and family members of Naidu.

Just at a time when everyone thought that ministerships would be given to the old horses, Naidu shocked everyone by taking strategic decisions. The decisions include recognising sincere and loyal leaders, thinking of party future for 10 years from now and doing a balancing act by preparing the party for a leadership transition into younger hands. Keshav was non-controversial and handled differences in the party locally by maintaining a safe distance from controversies.

His experience as PAC chairman and his mathematical exposure of the state finances as in doldrums paid off. No wonder he was given the finance portfolio to handle the messy finances and bring a semblance of order.

Now all eyes are on the finance minister and the success of the government depends on him, repaying debts, raising resources and making prudent allocations and doing a balancing act.

Keshav is computer savvy and a man of bright ideas. His brother Payyavula Srinivas fondly called as Seena is the Man Friday for all his political operations and the shadow MLA who takes care of everything in passing all government benefits to people.