{{Short description|Fijian politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Mahendra Reddy | honorific_suffix = | image = Mahendra Reddy April 2015.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Reddy in 2015 | office = Minister for Agriculture, Waterways and Environment | term_start = 11 December 2017 | term_end = | appointer = Frank Bainimarama | predecessor = | successor = | incumbent = | office1 = Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts | prime_minister1 = Frank Bainimarama | term_start1 = 25 September 2014 | term_end1 = 5 July 2017 | blank1 = | data1 = | predecessor1 = Filipe Bole | successor1 = Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum | constituency_MP10 = Fiji First List | parliament10 = Fijian | term_start10 = 17 September 2014 | term_end10 = 26 January 2023 | predecessor10 = | successor10 = | birth_date = | birth_place = Nadi, Fiji | birth_name = | party = Fiji First Party | spouse = Bhunweshwari Reddy | relations = | children = Shivani Reddy Vishnava Reddy | alma_mater = | occupation = | profession = | cabinet = | committees = | portfolio = | signature = | signature_alt = | website = | footnotes = | succeeded = Vatimi Rayalu }}

'''Mahendra Reddy''' is a Fijian politician and former Member of the Parliament of Fiji. He served as the Minister for Agriculture, Waterways and Environment from 2017 to 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Fijivillage|title=PM announces cabinet reshuffle, Faiyaz Koya sworn in as Minister for Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport|url=https://www.fijivillage.com/news/PM-announces-cabinet-reshuffle-Faiyaz-Koya-sworn-in-as-Minister-for-Commerce-Trade-Tourism-and-Transport-rfx584/|access-date=2020-06-05|website=www.fijivillage.com|language=en}}</ref>

In March 2009, he was appointed as the Chair of the Commerce Commission.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=115750|title=Reddy meets Commission staff|last=Singh |first=Monika |date=2009-03-03|publisher=Fiji Times|accessdate=21 February 2015}}</ref> In July 2014, he resigned as Commerce Commission director and from the Reserve Bank of Fiji board chairman to join the FijiFirst party to contest in the elections.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=275697|title=Academic resigns to join FijiFirst|last=Panapasa|first=Geraldine|date=2014-07-28|publisher=Fiji Times|accessdate=21 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221101750/http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=275697|archive-date=21 February 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Reddy was elected to Parliament in the 2014 election, in which he won 5,398 votes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.electionsfiji.gov.fj/2014-election-results/ |title=2014 Election Results |publisher=Fiji Elections Office |accessdate=2014-09-25 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140921200245/http://www.electionsfiji.gov.fj/2014-election-results/ |archivedate=2014-09-21 }}</ref> He was appointed to Cabinet as Minister for Education, National Heritage, Culture and Arts in September 2014.<ref name="cab">{{cite web|url=http://www.fbc.com.fj/fiji/23196/20-member-cabinet-announced|title=20-member Cabinet announced|date=2014-09-24|publisher=FBC|accessdate=2014-09-25|archive-date=6 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406191248/http://www.fbc.com.fj/fiji/23196/20-member-cabinet-announced|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 4 July 2017 Reddy appeared in court on charges of bribery and using undue influence over allegations he offered a water supply to a school in exchange for the school manager's vote.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/334442/fiji-education-minister-charged-with-bribery |title=Fiji education minister charged with bribery |publisher=Radio New Zealand |date=4 July 2017 |accessdate=4 July 2017}}</ref> Due to this, he resigned from his post. However, in December 2017, due to no conclusive evidence, those charges were dropped,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fijisun.com.fj/2017/12/02/ruling-reddy-a-free-man/|title=Ruling: Reddy A Free Man |publisher=Fiji Sun |date=2 December 2017 |accessdate=3 April 2018}}</ref> and Reddy was appointed as the new minister for Ministry of Waterways.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=427132 |title=New waterways minister 'Reddy' |publisher=Fiji Times |date=12 December 2017 |accessdate=3 April 2018}}</ref>

He was re-elected in the 2022 election with 2654 votes.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Singh |first=Indira |date=18 December 2022 |title=Top 55 confirmed |work=FBC |url=https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/news/fijian-elections/top-55-confirmed/ |url-status=live |access-date=24 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221218063858/https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/news/fijian-elections/top-55-confirmed/ |archive-date=18 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://2022results.feo.org.fj/Home/CandidateResults?Id=20&CandidateBallotNumber=192&Year=2022+Official |title=Mahendra Reddy (192) |publisher=Fijian Elections Office |access-date=26 January 2023}}</ref> On 26 January 2023 Reddy resigned from Parliament.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fijivillage.com/news/Dr-Mahendra-Reddy-resigns-from-parliament--845xrf/ |title=Dr Mahendra Reddy resigns from parliament |publisher=Fiji Village |author= Vijay Narayan |date=26 January 2023 |access-date=26 January 2023}}</ref> He was replaced as an MP by Penioni Ravunawa.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fijitimes.com/opposition-mp-dr-reddy-resigns-from-parliament/ |title=Opposition MP Dr Reddy resigns from parliament |publisher=Fiji Times |author=Talebula Kate |date=27 January 2023 |access-date=27 January 2023}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{Fiji First |state=autocollapse}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Reddy, Mahendra}} Category:Indian members of the Parliament of Fiji Category:University of the South Pacific alumni Category:FijiFirst politicians Category:Agriculture ministers of Fiji Category:Education ministers of Fiji Category:Culture ministers of Fiji Category:Environment ministers of Fiji Category:Living people Category:Fijian politicians of Indian descent Category:Fijian Hindus Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa alumni Category:Fijian scientists Category:Academic staff of the University of the South Pacific Category:Academic staff of Fiji Institute of Technology Category:Fijian civil servants Category:Fijian economists Category:20th-century Fijian politicians Category:20th-century Fijian scientists Category:21st-century Fijian scientists Category:Fijian people of Telugu descent