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Former Andhra CM B Venkatram dies at 71

Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Bhavanam Venkatram died in the state capital Hyderabad on Saturday. He was 71.

Venkatram, who had been keeping indifferent health for some time, complained of chest pain and died on the way to hospital. He leaves behind his wife, three daughters and a son. His funeral will take place in the city on Sunday.

A member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council, Venkatram shot into prominence in 1982 when he was handpicked by Indira Gandhi to succeed T Anjaiah as chief minister. But he was in the high office for less than seven months, from February 24 to September 20. As chief minister, he dropped his caste suffix Reddy.

A prominent lawyer and Congress politician, Venkatram became education minister in M Channa Reddy's government on March 6, 1978. Anjaiah retained him in that post from October 11, 1980, to February 24, 1982. His wife Bhavanam Jayaprada was minister for power in P V Narasimha Rao's Cabinet for 10 months in 1972-73 and later served as chairperson of the Coastal Andhra Regional Development Board. Venkatram owed his promotion as chief minister to his wife's proximity to Mrs Gandhi.

Venkatram, a college mate of N T Rama Rao at the Andhra Christian College in Guntur, also shared a hostel room with the man who went on to become a Telugu matinee idol and founder of the Telugu Desam Party. NTR even attended Venkatram's swearing-in ceremony.

Ironically, Venkatram was replaced by Kotla Vijayabhaskar Reddy in September 1982 when the Congress high command realised he was no match for NTR who had floated the TDP on March 29, 1982.

After his stint as chief minister, Venkatram stayed away from active politics, though he left the Congress and joined the Janata Dal in the 1990s. Recently, he was named state president of the Lok Jan Shakti Party of Union Mines and Coal Minister Ram Vilas Paswan.

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