Andhra bypoll: Construction magnate Mekapati Vikram Reddy retains Atmakur for YSRCP

Vikram is the managing director of the family’s company KMC Constructions Ltd that his father had founded. The company is into the development of infrastructure, manufacturing, and construction. Vikram is also associated with at least 13 other companies floated for infrastructure development.

When Rajmohan launched his Goutham in politics ahead of the 2014 elections, Vikram took care of the family business. An IIT-Chennai graduate, he has a master’s degree in construction management from the US. It is said that Vikram was initially reluctant to contest the election and instead wanted his sister-in-law to contest. But after several rounds of discussions, it fell on him to take his brother’s place.

The YSRCP leader in charge of the district, Balineni Srinivas Reddy, described Vikram as a soft-spoken person. “He is extremely polite and gentle and has maintained a very low profile. Although he hails from a political family, this is his first real brush with politics. Till now, he has been a highly successful businessman,’’ he said.

Even Reddy said politics was new to him. “My father and brother have been in politics but this is new to me but I will try hard to fulfil this new role as an elected representative. My brother nurtured the Atmakur constituency very carefully and I will carry on his work,’’ added the newly elected legislator.

With KMC Constructions headquartered in Hyderabad, Vikram, who joined the company in 1997, spent much of his life as a businessman in the city, away from the politics in Nellore district. Along with Goutham, Vikram too developed strong ties with Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. The Mekapati family stood by Jagan when he decided to part ways with the Congress and founded the YSRCP.

While Vikram Reddy’s win means the YSRCP retains the seat, whether he will be given an important portfolio like his brother remains to be seen. Sources in the YSRCP said Vikram along with his elder brother took their company to great heights, bidding and winning contracts to build highways, roads, bridges and infrastructure projects all over India. Along with their youngest brother Prithvi Reddy, the two took KMC international by launching KMC Constructions Limited in Dubai.

Apart from the main company, the family has been operating KMC Infratech Limited and KMC Road Holdings Private Limited for the last two decades. The group also launched special purpose vehicles (SPVs) to execute various projects such as OB Infrastructure Ltd, Guruvayoor Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, East Hyderabad Expressway Ltd, Pink City Expressway Pvt Ltd, Rayalaseema Expressway Pvt Ltd, Thrissur Expressway Pvt Ltd, and Simhapuri Expressway Pvt Ltd.