There are few people whose legacy stay with us forever, even after their death. One such leader is BJP’s Janga Reddy. Ever since BJP was formed in 1980, he remained a key player in strengthening the party’s position. His exemplary political journey is something today’s politicians look upto. Unfortunately, he passed away on Saturday, February 6.
Janga Reddy and his journey
As per the party sources, “Senior BJP leader C Janga Reddy died at a hospital here on Saturday while undergoing treatment for lung-related problems.”
Born in Parkal in the combined Warangal district, Mr. Reddy was as a teacher. He quit the profession to join politics and was part of the separate Telangana movement in 1969.
Mr. Reddy dedicated his life to the ideology of the Jan Sangh and later the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He defeated the Congress stalwart P.V. Narasimha Rao, who later became the Prime Minister of the country. Mr. Reddy was one of the two BJP MPs in the Lok Sabha in 1984. It was also the BJP’s debut in the Lok Sabha.
Even the top BJP leaders including Atal Bihari Vajpayee had lost the election when there was a clear proo-congress wave throughout the nation following the assassination of the then PM Indira Gandhi.
Mr. Reddy was also elected thrice to the Assembly in the combined Andhra Pradesh. From 1967 to 72, he represented Parkal constituency as a Jan Sangh member. Later, he represented Shayampet constituency from 1978 to 83 as Janata Party member and again from 1983 to 84 as member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Mr. Janga opened gates for BJP in South India
Notably, Janga Reddy was the first BJP MP from the southern states and opened the gates of South India for BJP. Coming from south India, he had a great influence on the people belonging to the region.
Such was his influence that when BJP was in no position to win even a single seat in 1984, he stood out to win.
He took active part in the Telangana Satyagraha Movement and anti-Malapuram district agitation in Kerala. This led BJP to gain influence in the region. He participated in the satyagraha in Delhi against the deployment of the army to the Golden Temple in 1984. He was an active member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He had held many offices in the Andhra Pradesh Student Union, including Executive Member.
It was the tireless effort of Janga Reddy that South India is witnessing a saffron surge. The saffron party is ruling Karnataka. BJP has also made some significant electoral gains in south, especially in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The saffron party’s vote share has increased in comparison to previous elections. It has now become a tough contender for the ruling parties in the states.