Former Home Minister Nayini Narsimha Reddy passes away

Former Home Minister Nayini Narasimha Reddy passed away at a private hospital following a prolonged illness, here last night. He was 86. He is survived by wife Ahalya Reddy, son Devender Reddy and daughter Samantha Reddy. His son-in-law Srinivas Reddy is GHMC corporator.

Narasimha Reddy suffered from pneumonia and other health complications after recovering from COVID-19 about three weeks ago. He was admitted in a private hospital after his health condition deteriorated. His condition remained critical at the hospital where he remained on a ventilator and also underwent dialysis treatment.

Known for his activism in trade unions and later in the separate Telangana agitation, Narasimha Reddy was popular for his trade-mark moustache as well as his inemitable attire of white dhoti along with a white Khadi shirt and a dark half-coat on it. He was well-known for roaming on the Musheerabad roads on his favourite Bullet motorcyle to interact with his constituents.

Born to a farmer couple in Neredugommu of Devarakonda mandal in the ersthwile Nalgonda district, Nayini Narasimha Reddy studied up to HSC. He started off as a labour union leader in VST industries and took active role in the 1969 Telangana agitation. He continued as honorary president of Hindu Mazdoor Sangh till his last breathe notwithstanding his political affiliations and positions.

Reddy shifted to Hyderabad in 1970s where he plunged into active politics and joined Janata Party. He continued in Janata Party till 1999 before plunging into fresh



spell of separate Telangana movement led by K Chandrashekhar Rao in 2001. Known as a mass leader, Narasimha Reddy is one of the founding members of TRS in 2001 and has been a key leader during the separate Telangana movement. Since the launch of TRS, he has been a close associate of TRS President and Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao who fondly called the former as ‘Narsanna’.

Narasimha Reddy won thrice as MLA from Musheerabad Assembly constituency between 1978 and 2009. He also served as the Member of Legislative Council (MLC) from the Governor quota whose term expired in April this year. He is one of the few leaders who participated in the Telangana agitation during 1969 and later in 2001.

Considering his contributions to the party, Narasimha Reddy was given key positions. He continued in the TRS politburo till his last breathe. When TRS entered into an alliance with Congress in the 2004 Assembly elections, he served as the Minister for Technical Education in the YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s Cabinet from 2005 to 2008 in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. He became the first Home Minister in the newly formed Telangana State in the K Chandrashekhar Rao’s Cabinet and remained in the post till 2018 Assembly elections.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has condoled the death of Narsimha Reddy.

Rao ordered that a State funeral be accorded to the senior most TRS leader. Various ministers have also recalled Reddy’s services to the cause of Telangana.