Nadendla Bhaskar Rao, a former chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh and a contentious figure in state politics, passed away at age 90 in Hyderabad on Wednesday.
Early in his career, Rao was known for his straightforward approach. He guided actor-turned-politician N T Rama Rao, or NTR, as he entered politics and assisted in establishing the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Later, Rao’s pursuit of authority led to controversy. In his final years, he rejoined the Congress, associated with Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party (JSP), and switched to the BJP in 2019.
Born in Guntur in 1935, Rao earned a law degree from Osmania University before entering politics with the Congress.
In 1978, he secured his first Assembly seat from Vijayawada East on a Congress ticket. He joined the Marri Chenna Reddy cabinet, handling commercial taxes, excise, and legislative matters. When film star NTR initiated a campaign for Telugu self-respect, Rao supported him, providing guidance for several years and aiding in TDP’s formation.
Following NTR’s victory in the 1983 Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, Rao, elected from Vemuru, became finance minister. About 18 months later, dissatisfaction with NTR’s governance grew among Rao and some allies, including various legislators.
On August 16, 1984, during NTR’s heart surgery in the United States, Rao orchestrated a takeover, asserting backing from TDP members and the opposition Congress. This move disrupted state politics, positioning Rao as a minister who opposed his own chief minister and party founder—a guide who challenged his protégé. Governor Thakur Ram Lal swore in Rao as the 11th chief minister, sparking widespread unrest. Public support, which had favored NTR and his party, shifted against Rao and the governor, prompting a response from the central Congress government.
NTR returned to Hyderabad in anger and started a statewide campaign to protect democracy, labeling it a righteous battle. The central government recalled Governor Lal abruptly. Rao’s administration, lasting just 31 days, was dissolved, and NTR was restored as chief minister on September 16.
Rao holds the record for the briefest tenure as chief minister in Andhra Pradesh at 31 days. Such a disgraced exit amid accusations of disloyalty might have concluded most political careers, but Rao persisted. He returned to Congress and won the Tenali Assembly seat in 1989. In 1998, he also triumphed in the Khammam Lok Sabha constituency for the party.
After years away from the spotlight, he affiliated with the BJP in 2019. His eldest son, Nadendla Manohar, currently serves as a JSP legislator from Tenali and holds a ministerial position in the Chandrababu Naidu cabinet in Andhra Pradesh.
Leaders from various parties, including TDP leader and Chief Minister Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, and Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy of Congress, expressed condolences on Rao’s passing.
