Palvai played key role in TS formation

Veteran Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Palvai Govardhan Reddy died of a heart attack in Kullu in Himachal Pradesh on Friday.

The 80-year-old politician was travelling to Kullu by car to attend the Parliamentary standing committee meeting when he suffered a severe heart attack.

He was immediately taken to a nearby hospital in Kullu where he was declared dead on arrival. He was accompanied by his wife.

The five-term MLA, one time MLC and present Rajya Sabha member was close to Congress chiefs of four generations, from Nehru to Rahul Gandhi.

Palvai Govardhan Reddy was born on November 20, 1936 in Nadimpally village, Mahbubnagar district, and was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly from Munugodu in Nalgonda district five times – in 1967, 1972, 1978, 1983 and 1999.

He was a minister in Bhavan Venkata Ram Reddy and Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy’s cabinets in 1982 and 1983.

As a minister, he held the rural water supply, youth services and LIDCAP portfolios in Bhavanam Venkata Ram Reddy’s Cabinet and the handlooms and textiles, sericulture, printing and stationery portfolios in Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy’s Cabinet.

In 2007, he was made a member of the Legislative Council. In 2012, he became Rajya Sabha member from undivided Andhra Pradesh and he was allotted to Telangana quota after state bifurcation. He played a key role in the formation of Telangana state.

Palvai did his BA from Vivekavardhini College of Osmania University and fought for a separate Telangana state right from his student days. He was president of the NSUI, the Congress’ frontal organisation of students.

He was the secretary of AP Youth Congress during the tenure of India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. He served in many positions in the Congress party.

Palvai Reddy is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.