Centenary celebrations of Neelam Sanjeevareddy are going to start today at 10.00 am at Ravindrabharati at Hyderabad by the Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy.  The celebrations from today to November 1 will be conducted by a committee under the leadership of Minister Raghuveera Reddy.  The new Revenue Academy that is going to be established soon will be named after Sanjeevareddy as the decision is already taken by the Government.  

Dr.Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy who was India’s 6th President to serve the term of 1977 to 1982 was born on 19th May 1913 in Iluru Village in Anantapur District.  During his term as the president of India, three Prime Ministers held ruled the Government of India- Morarji Desai, Charan Singh and Indira Gandhi.

Sanjeeva Reddy joined the freedom struggle in 1931 and participated in Student Satyagraha.  He was made the Secretary of AP Provincial Congress Committee and he served in the position for 10 years.  He became the Secretary of Madras Congress Legislature Party.  He was one of the members of Indian Constituent Assembly that made the Constitution of India.He served as State Minister during 1949 to 1951 in Madras State. He became the President of APCC in 1951.  On the formation of Andhra State he served as the Deputy Chief Minister where as Tanguturi Prakasham Pantulu was the Chief Minister.  He served as the First Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh that includes Telangana region.  He was elected twice for Rajya Sabha.  He served as Union Minister under the Prime Ministry of Lal Bahadur Sashtry and Indira Gandhi.Sanjeeva Reddy served as Loksabha Speaker in 1967.  After the death of the fourth President of India, Zakir Hussain, Sanjeeva Reddy was nominated as the Presidential candidate of Congress Party but he lost the Presidential elections to VV Giri an independent candidate.

Sanjeeva Reddy became Sixth President of India and a fourth from South India and third from Andhra Pradesh in 1977 although the then Prime Minister Morarji Desai wanted Rukmani Devi Arundale to hold the position.  

After the retirement from the post of the Prsident of India, Sanjeeva Reddy went back to Anantapur where he died in 1966 at the age of 83.

Sanjeeva Reddy was honored by the Venkateswara University of Tirupati with an Honorary Doctorate in Law.  He is a pride to the people of Andhra Pradesh to serve Indian politics in all positions in the party, in the State and at Center for a long time in his life.

AW-SriJa