One of the most prominent leaders of the anti-Nizam Telangana armed struggle, freedom fighter and former MLA Chennamaneni Rajeswara Rao died here on Monday after prolonged illness. He was 93.
Chennamaneni breathed his last at Yashoda hospital at Somajiguda at 4 am, family sources said. He is survived by three daughters and a son. He hailed from Marupaka village under Vemulawada mandal of Karimnagar district. Rajeswara Rao entered the Assembly through Choppadandi for the first time in 1957. He was a member of the undivided Andhra Pradesh Assembly for five terms from Sircilla and once from Choppadandi. He stayed away away from active politics after 2004.
Rajeshwara Rao started his political career as a Communist and was elected as CPI legislator from Sircilla Assembly constituency in Karimnagar in 1967, 1978, 1985 and 1994 Assembly elections. He was a Communist leader of the CPI, before he joined the TDP in 1999. He actively participated in the “Quit India Movement” and in the Telangana armed struggle against the Nizam of Hyderabad. He had gone underground along with other leaders while fighting the Nizam’s army.
When the movement for separate Telangana State intensified, Chennamaneni joined the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) but later retired from active politics. His son Chennamaneni Ramesh is a member of the Telangana Assembly. Maharashtra Governor Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao and economist Chennamaneni Hanumantha Rao are the brothers of Rajeswara Rao.
Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu and leaders of various political parties condoled the death of Rajeswara Rao. (NSS)