Former Union Minister, veteran Congress leader Jaipal Reddy passes away
Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader, S Jaipal Reddy, passed away on Sunday at a private hospital in Hyderabad at the age of 77. He was admitted to Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, Gachibowli recently with pneumonia and was undergoing treatment. His condition turned critical on Saturday. Reddy, who is survived by two sons and a daughter, breathed his last at 1:29am. Here's more.
Reddy quit Congress to protest 1975 Emergency, but returned later
Reddy was born on January 16, 1942, at Madgul in Telangana's Mahbubnagar. He pursued postgraduation from Osmania University. He was an active Congress worker who entered politics as a student. In 1969, he was elected as an MLA but quit Congress in protest to the 1975 Emergency. He then joined erstwhile Janata Party and later Janata Dal but returned to Congress in the 1990s.
Reddy represented Mahabubnagar, Miryalguda, and Chevella in Lok Sabha
Reddy won as an MLA from the Kalwakurthy for the first time in 1969 and went on to represent the Assembly Constituency four times. Later, in 1984, he was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time from Mahabubnagar. He won from Miryalguda Lok Sabha Constituency in 1999 and 2004. In 2009, he was elected from Chevella Lok Sabha seat.
Served as Rajya Sabha member and Union Minister
Reddy was also elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1990 and 1996. In former PM IK Gujral's cabinet, he served as the Union Information & Broadcasting Minister. Later, in Manmohan Singh's cabinet, he served as I&B Minister, Urban Development Minister, Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister, and Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences. In 1998, he was awarded the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award.
Saddened to hear of the passing of Reddy, tweets Congress
The Congress party tweeted, "We are saddened to hear of the passing of former Union Minister Jaipal Reddy." "A senior Congress leader, he served as an LS MP 5 times, an RS MP 2 times and as an MLA 4 times. We hope his family and friends find strength in their time of grief," the party posted on Twitter.
Here's what the Congress party posted on Twitter
One of Telangana's greatest sons: Telangana Congress chief Uttam Kumar
Telangana Congress chief Uttam Kumar Reddy condoled the veteran Congress leader's death. He tweeted, "Deeply saddened & pained by the sudden demise of one of Telangana's greatest sons - Shri Jaipal Reddy garu... It is a huge personal loss for me... We will miss him."
