HYDERABAD: Former Union minister Parvataneni Upendra died at a corporate hospital here this evening following a brief illness. He was 73 and is survived by wife, three sons and a daughter. Born in a family of freedom fighters at Pothunuru village in West Godavari district, Upendra had worked as journalist for some time before joining the Indian Railways as Public Relations Officer. As a railway officer, he became special secretary to the then railway minister, Madhu Dandavate, in the Janata Party government in 1977.
With the political entry of NTR and launching of the Telugu Desam party, Upendra joined active politics in 1983. He became the party’s general secretary and later member of the Rajya Sabha. He was also the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament. When the National Front government was formed, Upendra became a Cabinet minister holding the Information and Broadcasting, and Parliamentary Affairs portfolio.
Interestingly, Madhu Dandavate was also a member of that Cabinet and both the minister and his former special secretary became Cabinet colleagues. As minister for information and broadcasing, Upendra played a key role in establishing the Doordarshan studio at Vijayawada.
After the Congress returned to power at the Centre and the fall of the National Front, Upendra walked out of the Telugu Desam. For some time, he was with the Congress and joined the BJP accepting the leadership of AB Vajpayee. But he could not stay in the BJP for long and returned to the Congress soon.
He contested to the Lok Sabha from Vijayawada successfully in the two elections 1996 and 1998 but lost in 1999. In 1998 Sonia Gandhi took over the reins of the Congress and that had started working against Upendra.
Most of his critics made use of his criticism of Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi when he was in the Telugu Desam and thus created a chasm between him and the Congress high command. Though he succeeded in getting the party ticket for the Vijayawada Lok Sabha seat in the 1999 election, he could not win. His defeat almost ensured his downfall.
He was forced to quit active politics with the entry of his son-in-law Lagadapati Rajagopal in the 2004 election.
This finally distanced him from active public life, until he joined the Praja Rajyam party in 2009. He was advisor to the PRP at the time of his death.
Several leaders and parties and organisations mourned Upendra. Chief Minister K Rosaiah described the departed leader as one who had led political life with dedication and commitment. He recalled the services rendered to the State by Upendra for two decades and conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved’s family.