My Background:

I was born in Vijayawada and studied at VPS Public School. After my 3rd year of Bachelors at KLCE, some of us interned with a Civil Engg. Company, which sent us to a highway construction site in remote Karnataka. We lacked proper housing; decent food and water were hard to come by. It was an eye opening experience. I thus decided to improve my future prospects by pursuing higher studies in the USA. During this time, while I had strong opinions about politics and the direction our society was taking, I never took any relevant action.

USA and PhD:

I joined the prestigious Texas A&M University and graduated with a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering in 2007. Interested in scientific research, and intending to pursue a career in academia, I joined the PhD program.
        Prior to getting my scholarship, I worked odd jobs for four months. This period was a great learning experience. It taught me the dignity of labor. A few times, I worked at the private meetings of the former American president, George Bush, Sr., who used to stay at our university. Such experiences were transformative. I was fortunate to have my PhD advisor, Dr. Bill Bachelor, as my mentor. Whenever I met him with a research problem, he questioned me about what I did to address the hurdle, followed by fundamental questions such as why and how. This encouraged me to take the initiative and try to solve any problem scientifically. My project was funded by the Qatar government and I used to travel to Qatar to collaborate with the relevant people. As I witnessed Qatar’s remarkable development within the past few years under new administration, I used to wonder how good governance could change the face of India.
        I founded and ran academic and sports organizations, which allowed me to closely interact with and befriend people from various parts of the world, widening my world view. A strong sense developed in me that if one needed something done, the best way is for one to do it himself. The pathetic and farcical political situation back home troubled me greatly. A strong urge to contribute to political change in India and more importantly, to be the change I wished to see, grew in me. After graduating with a doctoral degree, I worked as a postdoctoral research associate and as an adjunct assistant professor.

Return to India and involvement in politics:

During this time, due to the death of a family member, my mother was to live alone. Considering my strong interest in political change and my mother’s welfare, I moved back to India in 2013. I moved to Hyderabad to volunteer for Lok Satta, as I wanted to determine if my convictions were strong enough to withstand reality. If I was unable to withstand reality, I intended to join one of the IITs as an assistant professor and contribute to better politics during my spare time. I worked for a few months with Mrs. Hyma Praveen, who is working in Sanathnagar to get elected as MLA on behalf of Lok Satta. I went on door to door campaigns and voter ID registrations drives; I was involved with trying to secure widow, old age and physically handicapped pensions for the people in various slums. I learnt about the general problems facing the people, such as waste disposal, drinking water, street lighting, and how to address them by taking up the issue with the relevant government officials; I helped organize medical camps, political meetings and road side gatherings.
        After I felt that I was able to perform the required tasks efficiently and with undimmed enthusiasm, I decided to run for office. I received commitments from friends for bare minimum funds, then met the relevant people at Lok Satta and requested their consent for me to run for office. The local leadership in Vijayawada was kind enough to accept me and guide me. I am under no illusions and am painfully aware of the hurdles and risks ahead of me. I intend to provide an alternative, and convince you in the months ahead.