Sanjay Jaju was approached to come back in 2023 itself

The newly appointed Chief Secretary, Sanjay Jaju, was approached soon after the formation of the Congress government and was offered the post of Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister.

So it’s neither a surprise nor a sudden decision to bring him to Telangana. It marks the culmination of efforts by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy that began soon after the Congress assumed office in December 2023.

Highly placed sources said the officer, who was then serving in New Delhi, was not keen on returning to the State at that stage as he was serving in key departments at the national level.

According to sources, Mr. Revanth Reddy’s preference for Mr. Jaju was driven primarily by two considerations. The first was the officer’s extensive experience in New Delhi over the past 12 years, where he handled key assignments at the Centre and developed an in-depth understanding of the Union government’s functioning.

Equally important, sources said, was his network within the Central government, which the Chief Minister believes would help Telangana facilitate coordination with various ministries. The Chief Minister is understood to have viewed this as essential to matching the speed with which he intends to implement major infrastructure and development projects.

Another factor that weighed in Mr. Jaju’s favour was his long absence from Telangana after the State’s formation in 2014. Having spent more than a decade in New Delhi, he remained largely detached from the State’s political and bureaucratic alignments.

Officials said this gave him a distinct advantage, as he returns without being identified with any political party or faction. In a bureaucracy that has often been viewed through a political prism since Telangana’s formation, his prolonged Central deputation has helped him avoid such perceptions.

Mr. Jaju is no stranger to the Congress establishment, having served in the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh when the party was in power. During that period, he was regarded as being familiar with several senior Congress leaders from his home State of Madhya Pradesh.

Sources said the government believes Mr. Jaju’s administrative experience, familiarity with the Congress leadership and lack of local political baggage would make him well-suited for coordination between the State and the Centre supporting the Chief Minister’s governance agenda.