Kasu Brahmananda Reddy

Kasu Brahmananda Reddy (28 July 1909 – 20 May 1994) was the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, India, from 29 February 1964 to 30 September 1971. On 3 June 1977, he was elected president of the Indian National Congress.[1]

Kasu Brahmananda Reddy
11th Governor of Maharashtra
In office
20 February 1988 – 18 January 1990
Chief Minister
Preceded byShankar Dayal Sharma
Succeeded byChidambaram Subramaniam
20th Union Minister of Industry
In office
30 July 1979 – 27 November 1979
Prime MinisterCharan Singh
Preceded byK. C. Pant
Succeeded byT. A. Pai
President of Indian National Congress
In office
June 1977 – January 1978
Preceded byDevakanta Barua
Succeeded byIndira Gandhi
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office
1977–1984
Preceded byMaddi Sudarsanam
Succeeded byKaturi Narayana Swamy
ConstituencyNarasaraopet
11th Union Minister of Home Affairs
In office
10 October 1974 – 12 March 1977
Prime MinisterIndira Gandhi
Preceded byUma Shankar Dikshit
Succeeded byCharan Singh
10th Union Minister of Communications
In office
11 January 1974 – 10 October 1974
Prime MinisterIndira Gandhi
Preceded byRaj Bahadur
Succeeded byShankar Dayal Sharma
3rd Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh
In office
21 February 1964 – 30 September 1971
Governor
Deputy Chief MinisterJ. V. Narsing Rao
(1967-1971)
Preceded byNeelam Sanjiva Reddy
Succeeded byP. V. Narasimha Rao
Member of Legislative Assembly
Andhra Pradesh
In office
1967–1972
Preceded byChapalamadugu Ramaiah Chowdary
Succeeded byDondeti Krishna Reddy
ConstituencyNarasaraopet
In office
1956–1967
Preceded byAndhra Pradesh Assembly Created
Succeeded byConstituency Dissolved
ConstituencyPhirangipuram
Member of Legislative Assembly
Andhra State
In office
1955–1956
Preceded byChandramouli
Succeeded byAndhra State Assembly Dissolved
ConstituencyPhirangipuram
Personal details
Born(1909-07-28)28 July 1909
Chirumamilla, Guntur district, Madras Presidency, British India
(now in Chirumamilla, Palnadu district, Andhra Pradesh, India)
Died20 May 1994(1994-05-20) (aged 84)
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh (now in Telangana, India)
Political partyIndian National Congress
SpouseKasu Raghavamma
Relatives

Early life

edit

Kasu Brahmananda Reddy was born in Chirumamilla in Guntur district, British India
(now in Palnadu district, Andhra Pradesh, India).[2] His early education took place in Guntur and he graduated from Madras Presidency College. He also studied in Kerala. He practised law and was a very successful advocate. He married Raghavamma. Reddy had no children.[3]

Career

edit

Reddy is credited with creating the Industrial infrastructure in and around Hyderabad. He was Second Congress Leader to expel Indira Gandhi from Indian National Congress. During his long regime of seven years (longest for any Congress chief minister in the state of Andhra Pradesh), many major industries like BHEL, HMT, IDPL, Hindustan Cables and several defence establishments like MIDHANI, Bharath Dynamics were established. During his tenure as the Chief Minister, Jalagam Vengal Rao, the Home Minister was instrumental in suppressing the Naxal movement in the north coastal Andhra Pradesh.

Reddy also held key positions such as Telecommunications Minister, Home Minister of India (1974–1977). It was during his tenure as home minister, Indira Gandhi declared Emergency in 1975 without his knowledge. His deputy Om Mehta was closer to Gandhi family than Reddy. He rebelled against Indira and expelled her from the Congress. She walked away with majority of leaders and cadres. Reddy headed the residual group called Reddy Congress which later merged with Congress (Indira). And also served as the Governor of Maharashtra (20 February 1988 to 18 January 1990). He was also only one of two elected All India Congress Committee Presidents, all others having been nominated.[4]

Reddy spared no effort to keep AP united, even in the face of the 1969 Telangana Agitation. It is said that over 9 months of the movement, about 370 youngsters and students were killed in police firings and that more than 70,000 people were arrested of which 7,000 were women and that people were lathi-charged 3,266 times, and about 20,000 people were injured in the lathi charge, and 1,840 people had received bullet injuries and fractures, tear gas was supposedly used 1,870 times. It is alleged that all of this was suppressed by the then Kasu Brahmananda Reddy government by using brute force.[citation needed]

The famous Chiran Palace was named after Kasu Brahmananda Reddy National Park in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, in his honor.

References

edit
  1. ^ Gupta, Smita (2 November 2009). "Ghost Writers Of 1975". Outlook India. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  2. ^ Pandey, Bishwa Nath; Studies, University of London Centre of South Asian (1977). Leadership in South Asia. Vikas Publishing House. p. 292. ISBN 9780706905403.
  3. ^ https://www.primepost.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/raghavamma-brahmananda-reddy.png [bare URL image file]
  4. ^ https://www.primepost.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/raghavamma-brahmananda-reddy.png [bare URL image file]
edit