In September 2007, members of the militant Naxal group attempted to assassinate Reddy and his wife; both escaped unharmed.[1][2]
Life and career
Reddy was born in Vakadu on 20 February 1935. After completing his education, he briefly worked as a teacher in a Vakadu school. He entered politics in 1972 and was elected to the Rajya Sabha. In 1978, he became the general secretary of the state congress, he was later elected to the Legislative Council. In his five-decade political career, he also served as a state minister and a legislator, He is the key person who laid foundation for development of technology park named “Sri.. Rajiv Gandhi Technology Park “ at Madhapur. Mr.Reddy worked until 1983 in Andhra Pradesh state government, serving as a minister in cabinets headed by Chief Ministers T. Anjaiah, Bhavanam Venkatram, and Kotla Vijayabhaskara Reddy.[3] He was elected to Lok Sabha thrice, one each from the Bapatla (1998), Narsaraopet (1999) and Visakhapatnam (2004) constituencies.[4]
He represented Visakhapatnam as a congress member, and he served as President of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee in 1988.[3][4] He joined Channa Reddy's cabinet in 1989, serving as Revenue Minister.
After Reddy quit the position of Chief Minister, Janardhan Reddy succeeded him, ascending to the Chief Ministership in 1990. Communal riots in Hyderabad presented a challenge; Reddy was credited with bringing law and order to the region in a short time.[3] He was the first Chief Minister to ban the militant Naxalite People's War Group.[3] One important decision during his career was the privatization of professional education.[4] Many medical and engineering colleges in the private sector were permitted to operate during his tenure. Kotla Vijayabhaskara Reddy succeeded him as Chief Minister in October 1992.[5][6] Members of the Naxalite extremist group, which Reddy had earlier outlawed, attempted to assassinate him on September 7, 2007. The attempt occurred while he was travelling with his family to his home village of Vakadu.[6] Although three of his followers died in the incident, Reddy and his wife escaped unharmed. Reddy was elected to the Rajya Sabha again in 2010, where he served until his death.[3] In his final years, Reddy suffered from a liver ailment and Parkinson's disease.[7][failed verification] He died in 2014 after prolonged illness, survived by his wife Rajyalaxmi and his four sons.[4][5][8]
Political history
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