India Sanjeevaiah FDC

India FDC
Name: Damodaram Sanjeevaiah
Issue date: 14 February 2008

Damodaram Sanjeevaiah was a parliamentarian and a leader of the masses committed to the cause of social upliftment of the drown trodden. He was born on 14th Feb, 19221 in a poor family of Pedapadu village in Kurnol District in Andhra Pradeshj to Shri Muneaiah and Smt. Sunkulamma. He completed his primary education in the village, High school in Kurnool and graduation in 1942 from Arts College Anantapur.

His long political career commenced in 1950 when he was elected as Member of Parliament. In the General elections held in the year 1952, he was elected to the Madras Legislative Assembly as one of the two members from Pathikonda Constituency. Shri.C. Rajagopalachari, the chief Minister of the then state of Madras, appointed him as Minister in charge of the Departments of Housing and Cooperation.

The state of Andhra Pradesh was created in 1953. Sh. Damodaram was a natural choice for induction in to the government of Sh. T. Prakasam, the first Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. He was made Minister of Social Welfare, Rehabilitation, Planning and Public Health. Elected to the Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh from Yemmiganur constituency during the 1955 mid term elections, he was appointed Minister in charge of the Departments of Transportation and Commercial Taxes by Shri Bejawada Gopala Reddy, the then new Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. When Shri Sanjeeva Reddy took over as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh in 1956, Shri Damodaram Sanjeevaiah was entrusted the Departments of Labour and Local Bodies Administration. In 1960, Shri Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy was elected as President of the All India Congress Committee and resigned from the post of Chief Minister. Shri Damodaram Sanjeevaiah was the successor and took over as the fourth Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on 11 January 1960. He hold this office as such till March 1962. In the elections that followed he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh from Kodumuru Constituency. In June 1962, he was elected as the President of the All India Congress Committee.

In 1964, he joined as Labour Minister under Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. From February 1970 to March 1971 he was in the cabinet headed by Smt. Indira Gandhi.

In 1972, he was elected for the second time as the President of the All India Congress Committee. On 8th May 1972. Shri. Damodaram Sanjeevaiah expired after a life of active service to the nation.