In Andhra Pradesh, where clearing a competitive exam is seen as the only gateway to success and almost every second student appears for JEE or NEET, these headlines reflect the growing influence, both financial and political, of the founders of the various educational institutions.As more Andhra students clear entrance tests, owners of institutions that train them add more political heft for themselves.
Although some of them have always been part of political parties, their numbers are growing every year. Information gleaned from election affidavits list hundreds of crores in assets for each educationalist contesting the elections. Also, safeguarding the interests of their institutions often aligns them closely with parties. A college chain donated Rs 5 crore in elec toral bonds to a leading party in Andhra even though very few educational institutions donated through bonds elsewhere in the country.
These candidates contesting across different LS and assembly seats include prominent individuals such as Narayana educational institutions’ founder Ponguru Narayana, Vignan University vicechairman Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, Gitam deemedto-be-university president and Kautilya School of Public Policy founder M Sribharat, Avanthi educational institutions founder M Srinivasa Rao, and Sri Balaji Educational Society director Palle Sindhura Reddy.
Additionally, Andhra Pradesh education minister Botcha Satyanarayana, who runs the Satya Institute of Technology and Management, and Pemmasani Chandrasekhar, founder of US edtech company UWorld, have also announced their candidacies.
Take Ponguru Narayana of Narayana educational institutions, known for churning out JEE and NEET rankers. He is contesting in Nellore city assembly constituency on a TDP ticket. As the former minister for municipal administration and urban development from 2014 to 2019, he played a key role in the planning and design of Amaravati, the capital of bifurcated Andhra. Starting with a modest coaching centre serving just seven students, his organisation has now expanded to operate in 23 states. He declared assets worth about Rs 800 crore.
State education minister Botcha Satyanarayana is contesting as an MLA candidate from Cheepurupalli. His wife Botcha Jhansi Lakshmi, who serves as Satya Institute’s correspondent, is YSRCP’s pick from the Vizag LS constituency.
TDP has fielded another academic leader, M Sribharat, for the Vizag LS seat. Following the death of his grandfather, M V V S Murthi, a former MP and MLC, in a road crash in the USA in 2018, Sribharat ventured into politics. He narrowly lost in 2019 from the Vizag LS segment by 4,000 votes.
Asked about how he balances politics and academic affairs, the Stanford alumnus said that his priority was serving and interacting with the public. “The university is managed by experts such as the vice-chancellor, pro VCs, registrar, and deans. They diligently follow the university’s vision plan. I often leverage technology to virtually interact with the university leadership,” Sribharat told TOI.
Pemmasani Chandrasekhar, TDP candidate for the Guntur LS seat, recently hogged the spotlight by declaring assets worth Rs 5,705 crore — the highest in these LS elections. His pioneering online education enterprise, UWorld, is widely utilised by students preparing for high-stakes examinations such as SAT, ACT and USMLE.
According to H Lajipathi Rai, former VC of Dr B R Ambedkar University, parties often prioritise educationalists who possess a combination of educational expertise and political family background. “These candidates are favoured because they are better equipped to understand complex issues and engage in meaningful deliberations in Parliament,” he said.
Former minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao, also known as ‘Avanthi’ Srinivasa Rao due to his association with the Avanthi Group of institutions, is contesting against former HRD minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao as the YSRCP candidate from the Bheemili assembly seat. Avanthi began with a computer training institute and has since expanded to establish a network of management and engineering colleges across north coastal Andhra.
V Hari Babu, a faculty member of political science at Andhra University, said founders of academic institutions are increasingly getting into politics. “Their expertise has the potential to contribute to the legislative processes, potentially resulting in more effective and progressive laws. However, political dynamics may differ significantly from academic settings. These leaders may face challenges in navigating the complexities of politics, especially in their formative political years,” he said.
Narasaraopet MP and TDP LS candidate, Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, introduced the highest number of private member’s bills (seven) from Andhra in the 17th Lok Sabha.
Lokam Madhavi, the BJP-TDPJana Sena alliance candidate for the Nellimarla assembly constituency, serves as vice-president of the Miracle Educational Society. With extensive experience in the IT industry, Madhavi has declared assets worth nearly Rs 900 crore. Her expertise is expected to be valuable in shaping policies.
“While the Constitution doesn’t prohibit non-literates from contesting, having academic leaders serving as MLAs or MPs can benefit society. However, it is important to involve them in manifesto writing and policy formulation,” added Lajipathi Rai.
