HYDERABAD: Former Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh Nadendla Bhaskar Rao passed away due to ill health on Wednesday at a private hospital in Hyderabad. He was 90.
Bhaskar Rao was among the founding members of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). His son Nandendla Manohar is currently a Minister in the Nara Chandrababu Naidu cabinet in AP.
The last rites of Bhaskar Rao will be performed on Thursday at Panjagutta in Hyderabad.
Bhaskar Rao served as Chief Minister for one month in 1984. He served as Minister in NTR, Marri Chenna Reddy and Anjaiah Cabinets. He was elected as an MP from Khammam Lok Sabha segment in 1998.
Bhaskar Rao was first elected as an MLA in 1978 and served as a Minister in Chenna Reddy's cabinet. In 1978, Bhaskar Rao contested from Vijayawada and won as a Congress MLA. In 1983, he contested from the Vemuru constituency in Guntur district on the TDP symbol and was elected as an MLA.
Later, Bhaskar Rao revolted against NTR and formed the government, which lasted only for one month. Bhaskar Rao along with his supporters in TDP and also with the support of the Congress pulled the NTR government in a coup, when NTR was away in the USA for treatment
After the political coup, Bhaskar Rao served as Chief Minister from August 16, 1984 to September 16, 1984. He was the Chief Minister for just 31 days, the shortest served Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh.
After his return from the USA, NTR started a nation wide agitation 'save the democracy' by wearing black clothes, and organised a statewide yatra in the name of 'Dharma Yuddham'. Finally, the Central government recalled the then Governor Thakur Ram Lal and reinstalled NTR as Chief Minister again.
After his resignation as Chief Minister Bhaskar Rao founded the Prajaswamya Telugu Desam Party in 1985, forged an alliance with the Congress and unsuccessfully contested as an MLA from Malakpet Assembly segment in Hyderabad.