Bandi Sanjay Kumar sworn in as Union Minister: Everything you need to know BJP's firebrand leader

As Bandi Sanjay Kumar, the former president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Telangana, took oath as a Union Minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new government, his mother, Bandi Shakunthala, expressed overwhelming joy. "I am proud that my son has gone from gully (streets) to Delhi. My happiness cannot be described in words. I have talked to him (son) over the phone. My family and I thank PM Narendra Modi," Bandi Shakunthala said speaking to reporters on Sunday.

Now a part of the Modi cabinet, here’s all you need to know about Bandi Sanjay Kumar, who has held several significant positions within the party.

Who is Bandi Sanjay Kumar?

Bandi Sanjay Kumar has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Karimnagar constituency since 2019. He became the state president of the BJP in Telangana in 2023.

Sanjay Kumar's political journey began with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), where he held several leadership roles, including town president and state executive member. He also served as the town secretary, town president, national secretary for Kerala, and in charge of Tamil Nadu.

Notably, in 1996, he actively participated in BJP leader LK Advani's Surat Rath Yatra campaign across India.

BJP's Bandi Sanjay Kumar won from Telangana's Karimnagar, defeating Congress' Velchala Rajender Rao by a margin of 225,209 votes.

The dynamic BJP leader from Telangana was elected as an MP from Karimnagar in 2019, defeating Bharat Rashtra Samithi (then Telangana Rashtra Samithi) candidate Boianapalli Vinod Kumar. Sanjay Kumar is widely credited for expanding the BJP's influence in Telangana during his tenure as the state party chief.

His early life and struggles
Speaking about Kumar's early life, his mother Shakunthala shared that their family faced many hardships. "Even since childhood, Sanjay struggled a lot. RSS was like a close relation to us. We are a very small family. His father only had a salary of Rs 100 and 10 members used to live with that. We have struggled a lot," she said.

Involvement in historical events
Recalling an incident during the Babri Masjid demolition, Shakunthala said Sanjay had to hide in his brother's hostel to avoid arrest. "During the Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhya, Sanjay was there. There were always police officers in our house at that time. They used to search the entire house. We used to hide Sanjay in my brother's hostel nearby and sent him food from here. Despite the police search, Sanjay escaped. However, some others who were with him were arrested," she said.

Inputs from ANI