The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : The knot joins two generations

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 23, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

The knot joins two generations

By M.V. Subramanyam

CUDDAPAH, DEC. 22. The conviction of former Minister and TDP leader, Ponnapureddy Ramasubba Reddy (46), on Wednesday in a double murder case, is a fallout of political rivalry-turned-factionalism in the Jammalamadugu constituency that spanned two generations.

The two and half decade-long rivalry between the former Minister of TDP, P. Siva Reddy, and his adversary, Devagudi Sankar Reddy, led to their slaying by rival groups in the last decade. The two slain leaders were together pitted against the former Congress MLA, Thatireddy Narasimha Reddy, a formidable force in the Jammalamadugu constituency, until they vied with each other for supremacy.

When Sankar Reddy differed with Siva Reddy and led a breakaway group, Narasimha Reddy gave up active politics. Known as an aggressive politician, the former Samithi president, Siva Reddy, opposed the mine owner, C.M. Ramanatha Reddy, but the latter won as MLA in 1978. Siva Reddy, who joined the TDP, defeated Ramanatha Reddy in 1983, and emerged as a major force.

As the rivalry continued, Siva Reddy's group allegedly hacked to death Sankar Reddy and his relative, Bhimagundam Gopal Reddy, at the Shadnagar bus stand on December 5, 1990. Siva Reddy, his brother's son, P. Ramasubba Reddy (then Gundlakunta sarpanch) and nine others were charged with the murder.

After Sankar Reddy's son, a former DCCB President, Devagudi Narayana Reddy, took over the leadership of the group, Siva Reddy was killed in a bomb attack at a marriage function in Hyderabad in 1993. An accused, Bhimagundam Chandrasekhar Reddy was killed in 1991 while another accused, Ramamohan Reddy, died in a road accident in 1994, leaving eight surviving accused in the case.

In the byelection caused by Siva Reddy's murder, Ramasubba Reddy took over reins and won as Jammalamadugu MLA against Sankar Reddy's son, Devagudi Narayana Reddy, but lost to his brother, Devagudi Adinarayana Reddy in the 2004 polls. Ramasubba Reddy served as Minister twice.

He was Forest Minister in N.T. Rama Rao's Cabinet and Housing Minister in N. Chandrababu Naidu's Cabinet.

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