Hyderabad: Former general secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) and ex-Member of Parliament Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy died at Care Hospitals in Gachibowli, Telangana, late Friday night in Hyderabad following a prolonged illness, his family said.
Reddy, who was 83, is survived by his wife, BV Vijayalakshmi, and two sons – Nikhil Reddy and Kapil Reddy. “He breathed his last while undergoing treatment at Care Hospitals in Gachibowli, where he was admitted for age-related issues and breathing difficulties,” a family member said.
His mortal remains will be brought to the CPI state office in Hyderabad at 10 am on Saturday for party workers to pay their last respects, following which his body will be donated to Gandhi Medical College.
Rising from student movements to national politics, he served three terms as the national general secretary of the CPI.
Sudhakar Reddy, a native of Kanchupadu village in Jogulamba Gadwal district, was born on March 25, 1942, in Kondravupalli, his grandmother’s village in Kodair mandal. He later moved to Kurnool for his education.
His father, Suravaram Venkatrami Reddy, was a freedom fighter, and his uncle was poet and freedom fighter Suravaram Pratap Reddy, who fought against the oppressive feudal system prevailing under Nizam rule.
{{/usCountry}}His father, Suravaram Venkatrami Reddy, was a freedom fighter, and his uncle was poet and freedom fighter Suravaram Pratap Reddy, who fought against the oppressive feudal system prevailing under Nizam rule.
{{/usCountry}}In 1960, Sudhakar Reddy began his political journey as the Secretary of the All India Students’ Federation (AISF) in Kurnool town and later went on to serve as its district secretary. By 1962, he was playing a key role as the committee secretary for the establishment of Venkateswara University. After completing his BA in Kurnool in 1964, he was elected president of the college students’ union. He later pursued law at Osmania University’s Law College in Hyderabad, where he earned his LLB degree in 1967. Within a week of joining, he was elected general secretary of the students’ union and soon took over as the AISF state secretary.
In 1970, Reddy rose to become the national president of AISF and, two years later, the national president of the All India Youth Federation (AIYF). From 1974 to 1984, he served as a member of the CPI’s Andhra Pradesh state executive committee, marking his steady rise within the party ranks.
His parliamentary career began in 1988 when he was elected as a member of parliament (MP) from Nalgonda. Though he lost the 1994 assembly election against then-chief minister Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy in Done constituency, Kurnool district, he remained active in state politics. In 2000, he was appointed CPI Andhra Pradesh state secretary and inducted into the party’s national executive committee.
He returned to Parliament in 2004, winning the Nalgonda seat once again.
Sudhakar Reddy was elected as the general secretary of the CPI in 2012 during the national congress held in Patna. He was re-elected to the post in 2015 (Puducherry) and again in 2018 (Kollam). Though his term was set to continue until 2021, he stepped down from the role on July 24, 2019, citing health reasons.
Telangana chief minister A. Revanth Reddy extended condolences to the bereaved family, praying for his soul to rest in peace. He recalled Sudhakar Reddy’s rise from the undivided Mahabubnagar district to a national-level leader and his active participation in Left movements and people’s struggles.
State irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and Pradesh Congress Committee president B. Mahesh Kumar Goud also condoled the demise of Sudhakar Reddy.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi president K. Chandrashekar Rao also mourned his demise, offering condolences to the family. “Sudhakar Reddy, a son of Telangana soil, dedicated his life to the upliftment of the oppressed classes and earned immense respect as a people’s leader. He played an important role during the Telangana movement,” KCR said.
CPI Andhra Pradesh unit general secretary K. Ramakrishna and Telangana unit president K. Sambasiva Rao also condoled the death of Sudhakar Reddy.