Former CM Konijeti Rosaiah passes away
Konijeti Rosaiah, the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and a senior Congress politician, died on Saturday morning in Hyderabad.
He was 88 years old. He is survived by his wife Sivalakshmi, sons KS Subba Rao and KSN Murthy, and daughter P Rama Devi.
Rosaiah was said to have a low pulse rate as well as low blood pressure levels.
He was brought to a corporate hospital in Banjara Hills by family members, where he was pronounced dead.
Following the unexpected death of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in 2009, Rosaiah, the then-Finance Minister, was promoted to the position of Chief Minister before being appointed Governor of Tamil Nadu.
Rosaiah served as Chief Minister for a brief period between September 2009 and November 2010 following the unfortunate death of Y S Rajashekhara Reddy.
On November 24, 2010, he resigned from his position, citing health issues, and was succeeded by N Kiran Kumar Reddy.
Later, in 2011, he was sworn in as Governor of Tamil Nadu, and after serving his tenure till August 2016, he resigned from active politics.
For two months, he was also the Governor of Karnataka.
Rosaiah, a Congress veteran, was born on July 4, 1933, in Vemuru village, Guntur district.
Rosaiah, who is from Vemuru village near Tenali, rose through the ranks of the Congress party from the ranks of the Youth Congress.
He attended Guntur Hindu College and majored in Commerce.
He was elected to the then-Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council on behalf of the Congress Party in 1968, 1974, and 1980.
He was elected to the Chirala Assembly seat as an MLA in 1989 and 2004.
He was elected MP from Narasaraopet in 1998.
In 2009, he was re-elected to the Legislative Council.
Throughout his decades-long career, he served as a Congress MLC, MLA, and MP.
During his long political career, Rosaiah also held various government positions.
From 1995 to 1997, Rosaiah served as President of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC).
Rosaiah began her political career as a political student of Swatantra Party leader and independence campaigner N.G. Ranga.
Rosaiah was appointed Minister of Roads and Buildings for the first time in the Marri Chenna Reddy cabinet.
He was also a member of T Anjaiah’s Cabinet at the time.
As Finance Minister, he had a track record of bringing budgets to the floor of the Assembly.
Rosaiah served as Finance Minister for the longest duration of his political career, which spanned over six decades, under Marri Chenna Reddy, Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy, Nedurumalli Janardhana Reddy, and YS Rajashekhara Reddy.
Ministerial portfolios held
From 1978 until 1982, he was the AP State Minister for Transportation, Roads, and Buildings under M. Chenna Reddy.
T. Anjaiah appointed him as AP State Minister for Transportation and Housing in 1980.
Since 1982, he has served as the AP State Minister for Home under Kotla Vijaya Bhasker Reddy.
From 1989 until 1993, he served as AP State Minister for Finance, Transportation, and Electricity under M. Chenna Reddy.
Since December 1990, he has served as the AP State Minister for Finance, Medical & Health, Education, and Electricity under Nedurumalli Janardhana Reddy.
Since October 1992, he has served as the AP State Minister for Finance, Medical & Health, Education, and Electricity under Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy.
From April 2004, he served as AP State Minister for Finance, Planning, and Legislative Affairs under Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy.
Throughout his long political career, he engaged and collaborated with the majority of India’s Prime Ministers, including Jawaharlal Nehru.
He has a type of record for delivering the most budgets for a state, having presented the Andhra Pradesh State Budget 16 times, including seven times in a succession.
Rosaiah has always sought to keep a low profile and avoid issues.
Rosaiah was awarded an honorary doctorate by Andhra University in 2007.
On June 4, 1950, he married Smt Sivalakshmi.
He has three boys and one daughter.
KS Subba Rao and KSN Murthy are sons, while P Rama Devi is a daughter.
Helping the underprivileged is one of his sociocultural pursuits.
He is also an excellent orator.
In 1998, he was also a member of the spices board.
He works as an agriculturist, a trader, and an industrialist.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao expressed his condolences on Rosaiah’s demise.
He remembered Rosaiah as a leader who brought many honours to the positions he served, particularly as Finance Minister, and is renowned for his patience, tenderness, and simplicity.
He expressed his sympathies to the bereaved family members.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy offered his sympathies to Rosaiah’s family and expressed his condolences to the grieving family.
Rosaiah’s death was mourned by Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president A Revanth Reddy, Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president Sake Sailajanath, and numerous other officials from the Congress and other political organisations.
Several politicians, renowned people, actors, and other professions expressed astonishment at Rosaiah’s death.
They conveyed their sympathies to his family members.
MK Stalin, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, expressed his sympathies on the death of Konijeti Rosaiah.
“I was saddened to learn of the death of Dr Konijeti Rosaiah, former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and former Governor of Tamil Nadu, a man of immense experience, wisdom, and a senior statesman.
In this hour of sorrow, I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family and friends “Stalin stated this in a tweet.
N. Chandrababu Naidu, the TDP president, has extended his sympathies to the bereaved family.