Senior BJP leader and former MP C Janga Reddy died at a hospital in Hyderabad today, while undergoing treatment for lung-related problems.
Reddy who was born in 1935, had his early grounding as a Jan Sangh worker. Between 1967 and 1984, he also had stints as an MLA, three times, representing the Parakal and Sayampet Assembly segments in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh Assembly.
He was the first Jana Sangha MLA in the united Andhra Pradesh state and also was the first BJP MP in southern state.Reddy was one of the two MPs who reached Parliament in 1984 after winning the election on a BJP ticket. The second BJP MP to register victory was AK Patel, who had won from Mehsana in Gujarat.
Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee also had to face defeat in this election. Reddy defeated PV Narasimha Rao in the Hanamkonda parliamentary seat of Andhra Pradesh in the 1984 Lok Sabha elections, who later became the Prime Minister of the country
Janga Reddy was a worker of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh from the very beginning. In 1967, he became an MLA for the first time on a Jana Sangh ticket. After this, in 1978 again contested the assembly elections on Janata Party ticket and won. After the formation of BJP in 1983, he contested the state elections from BJP and won again. A year later, the BJP asked him to contest the Lok Sabha elections.
He took active part in separate Telangana state agitation from it’s very beginning and palyed key role in making state BJP to passed a resolution on separation of the state.
The PM said that Janga Reddy was an influential voice of the party at a very critical period of BJP’s development. He also spoke to Janga Reddy’s son over phone and expressed his condolences.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, ‘C Janga Reddy devoted his entire life in public service. He was an integral part of the efforts to take the Jan Sangh and the BJP to new heights of success. He made his place in the hearts and minds of the people. He inspired many workers. Saddened by his demise. The Prime Minister said that Janga Reddy was an effective voice of the party at a critical time in the development of the BJP.
