Jalagam Vengala Rao Explained

Jalagam Vengala Rao
Office1:5th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh
Term Start1:10 December 1973
Term End1:6 March 1978
Predecessor1:President's rule
Successor1:Marri Chenna Reddy
Office2:Minister of Commerce and Industry (Government of India)
Primeminister2:Rajiv Gandhi
Predecessor2:N. D. Tiwari
Successor2:Ajit Singh
Term Start2:22 October 1986
Term End2:2 December 1989
Office3:Home Minister, Government of Andhra Pradesh
Term Start3:18 July 1969
Term End3:30 September 1971
3Blankname3:Chief Minister
3Namedata3:Kasu Brahmananda Reddy
Office4:Industries Minister, Government of Andhra Pradesh
Term Start4:20 March 1972
Term End4:10 January 1973
4Blankname4:Chief Minister
4Namedata4:P. V. Narasimha Rao
Office5:President of Pradesh Congress Committee
Term Start5:January 30, 1985
Term End5:October 30, 1988
Constituency6:Khammam
Office6:Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
Term Start6:1984
Term End6:1991
Predecessor6:Jalagam Kondala Rao
Successor6:P. V. Rangaiah Naidu
Office7:Member of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly
Term Start7:1978
Term End7:1983
Constituency7:Sathupalli, Telangana
Term Start8:1962
Term End8:1978
Constituency8:Vemsoor, Telangana
Birth Date:May 1921
Birth Place:Soperu, Madras Presidency, British India
Death Date:12 June 1999 (aged 78)
Death Place:Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
Children:Jalagam Prasada Rao,
Jalagam Venkat Rao

Jalagam Vengala Rao (May 1921[1] – 12 June 1999) was for much of his life a member of the Indian National Congress and was the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh which is now divided into two states, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Early life

Vengala Rao hailed from Velama community[2] of Bayyannagudem in Khammam district (currently part of the Telangana state).[3]

Career

His involvement in politics began when he was in his twenties, when he supported Congress in their campaign of armed defiance against the Nizam of Hyderabad. He was jailed for his involvement in this campaign, which was protesting the tenancy laws operating in the Telangana region. Although he tried and failed to be elected as an independent candidate in 1952, Rao subsequently was elected on four occasions to the Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh, where he represented the Sathupalli constituency of Khammam district.

Lok Sabha

He was also twice elected to the Lok Sabha - the lower house of the Parliament of India - as a representative of the Khammam district constituency. The first of his successful Assembly elections was in 1962, and the period from 1952 to that time saw him occupying the post of president for the Khammam district branch of Congress and being the first chairman of the district council.

As Home Minister

In 1968, he became State Home Minister in the state government headed by Kasu Brahmananda Reddy. Later, during his period as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, an office to which he was appointed by Indira Gandhi[4] and held between 10 December 1973 and 6 March 1978,[5] Rao's hallmark was his administrative efficiency. He is also known for his handling and containment of Naxalite insurgency, which took place during a revival of the Telangana movement that sought independent statehood. He almost wiped out Naxalism from the state through extra judicial killings namely encounters.[6] [7] [8] Later, the Vimadalal commission was appointed to probe into attacks on Naxalites during his period in office[9] and his earlier actions against Communist-inspired Naxalites during the 1960s have been referred to as a "reign of terror".[10] The official website for the government of Andhra Pradesh refers to his tenure, which came about following a period of President's rule, politically stable.[11] Despite that popularity, he was unable to retain power in the 1978 elections.[12]

Congress split

When Congress split during the mid-1970s, Rao initially did not join with the faction led by Indira Gandhi that was referred to as Congress (I). However, he did join in 1984 and with his election to the Lok Sabha in that year he served in the cabinet of Rajiv Gandhi, holding the post of Union Minister for Industry until 1989. For much of this period, between 1984 and 1988, he was also president of the state organization of his political party, being the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee.

As Chief Minister

He was the 5th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh from 10 December 1973 – 6 March 1978. It was during his tenure as Chief Minister that three universities namely Kakatiya University, Acharya Nagarjuna University and Sri Krishnadevaraya University were started, catering for three regions of Andhra Pradesh: Telangana, Coastal Andhra, and Rayalaseema.[13] [14] [15] Rao initiated a World Telugu Conference in Hyderabad in 1975.[16]

Death

Jalagam Vengal Rao died on 12 June 1999.[17]

Family

He has two sons, Jalagam Prasada Rao and Jalagam Venkat Rao. Jalagam Prasada Rao was a Member of the Legislative Assembly from Satthupalli constituency for two terms and he was a minister in N. Janardhan Reddy's cabinet. He held the portfolios of Small scale industries and Panchayat Raj.[18] [19] Jalagam Venkat Rao, is also a politician and was a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh, representing the INC for the same constituency, Satthupalli, as his father.[20] [21]

Commemoration

Rao wrote an autobiography in the Telugu language, called Naa Jeevitha Katha. The contents caused some controversy with regard to the lives of other politicians.[22] [23] A part of it was published in English translation by Outlook magazine.[24]

A park in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad was named after him as Jalagam Vengal Rao Park.[25] There is also an upscale residential neighborhood named after him – Vengal Rao Nagar - and several educational institutions.

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Jalagam Vengala Rao. 2021-04-19. veethi.com.
  2. News: బళ్ల సతీశ్ . 8 April 2019 . తెలుగునాట కుల రాజకీయాలు: ఆ రెండు కులాల మధ్యే ప్రధాన పోటీ . te . BBC News తెలుగు . 2023-05-01.
  3. News: Bhaskar . B. V. S. . 7 September 2002 . Sathupally to be model assembly constituency . . dead . 2012-03-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121017080644/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2002-09-07/hyderabad/27309414_1_irrigation-projects-drinking-water-roads . 17 October 2012.
  4. Book: Reddi, Agarala Easwara . State politics in India: reflections on Andhra Pradesh . M.D. Publications . 1994 . 9788185880518 . 25 . 2012-03-27.
  5. Web site: Chief Ministers: Sri. Jalagam Vengala Rao . https://archive.today/20121218155559/http://www.portal.ap.gov.in/Government/Lists/Chief%20Ministers/DispForm.aspx?ID=15 . dead . 2012-12-18 . Government of Andhra Pradesh . 2012-03-27 .
  6. Amarnath K. Menon . January 21, 2014 . Change in government in Andhra Pradesh brings fears of Emergency-type repression of Naxalite movement. 2021-04-19. India Today. en.
  7. Web site: 2019-12-07. Telangana And Andhra Pradesh Have A Long History Of Encounter Killings. 2021-04-19. HuffPost. en.
  8. Venugopal. N.. 2007. Fake Encounters: Story from Andhra Pradesh. Economic and Political Weekly. 42. 41. 4106–4111. 40276541. 0012-9976.
  9. Dwivedi. O.P.. Jain. R.B.. 1988-07-01. Bureaucratic Morality in India. International Political Science Review. en. 9. 3. 205–214. 10.1177/019251218800900305. 144127879. 0192-5121.
  10. News: Telangana Part II . 11 December 2009 . Mohan . Guruswamy . DNA . 2012-03-27.
  11. Web site: Post-Independence Era : Struggle for Andhra State . Government of Andhra Pradesh . 2012-03-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120321182709/http://www.portal.ap.gov.in/Pages/PostIndependenceEra.aspx . 21 March 2012 . dead .
  12. News: Naidu becomes fourth AP CM to return his party to power . 7 October 1999 . Rediff.com . 2012-03-27.
  13. Web site: About University. 2021-04-19. skuniversity.ac.in.
  14. Web site: Acharya Nagarjuna University. 2021-04-19. www.nagarjunauniversity.ac.in.
  15. Web site: Kakatiya University, Warangal-506009, Telangana, India.. 2021-04-19. kakatiya.ac.in.
  16. News: Bitter memories . https://web.archive.org/web/20100122051815/http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1812/18120450.htm . 2010-01-22 . R.J. Rajendra . Prasad . 22 June 2001 . 18 . 12 . Frontline . usurped . 2012-03-27.
  17. News: Andhra ex-CM Vengala Rao dies at 78 . 12 June 1999 . Rediff.com . UNI . 2012-03-27.
  18. News: Tummala Nageswara Rao in for a grim battle . 9 April 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20040505215843/http://www.hindu.com/2004/04/09/stories/2004040904150400.htm. dead. 5 May 2004. . 2012-09-27.
  19. News: Jalagam to join hands with Jagan . 8 June 2011 . https://archive.today/20130103065316/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-06-08/hyderabad/29633257_1_ysr-congress-y-s-jaganmohan-reddy-khammam-assembly-seat . dead . 3 January 2013 . . 2012-09-27.
  20. News: Jalagam Vengala Rao remembered . 6 May 2009 . https://archive.today/20130125132947/http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/06/stories/2009050652240300.htm . dead . 25 January 2013 . . 2012-03-27.
  21. Web site: MLAs . Government of Andhra Pradesh . 2012-03-27 . https://archive.today/20121218162237/http://www.portal.ap.gov.in/Government/Lists/MLAs_1/DispForm.aspx?ID=277 . 18 December 2012 . dead .
  22. News: Skeletons In The Closet: Erstwhile Andhra Pradesh chief minister Vengala Rao's memoirs rake up Narasimha Rao's past . S. . Sivanand . 11 September 1996 . Outlook . 2012-03-27.
  23. News: The Times of India . Hey Ram! . TNN . 25 March 2001 . 2012-03-27.
  24. News: 'Pv's Affair Upset Indira': Extracts from Jalagam Vengala Rao's autobiography . 11 September 1996 . Outlook . 2012-03-27.
  25. News: Birth anniversary of Jalagam celebrated . https://web.archive.org/web/20080508172842/http://www.hindu.com/2008/05/05/stories/2008050555240600.htm . dead . 8 May 2008 . 5 May 2008 . . 2012-03-27.