K. Keshava Rao

Kancherla Keshava Rao, popularly known as KK (born 4 June 1939), is an Indian politician from the Indian National Congress party. He previously served as a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament from 2014 to 2024 and previously from 2006 to 2012.

K. Keshava Rao
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
In office 10 April 2020 – 5 July 2024
Preceded by	Himself
Succeeded by	Abhishek Singhvi
Constituency	Telangana
In office 10 April 2014 – 9 April 2020
Preceded by	Nandi Yellaiah
Succeeded by	Himself
Constituency	Andhra Pradesh Telangana
In office 3 April 2006 – 2 April 2012
Preceded by	Alladi P Rajkumar
Succeeded by	Renuka Chowdhury
Constituency	Andhra Pradesh
32th President of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee
In office 2005–2008
AICC President	Sonia Gandhi
Preceded by	Dharmapuri Srinivas
Succeeded by	Dharmapuri Srinivas
Deputy Chairman Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council
In office 1979–1980
Chairman	Syed Mukasheer Shah
Leader of the House	Marri Chenna Reddy
Constituency	Andhra Pradesh
Member of Legislative Council Andhra Pradesh
In office 1979–1985
Chairman	Syed Mukasheer Shah
Leader of the House	Marri Chenna Reddy
Constituency	Andhra Pradesh
Personal details
Born	Kancherla Keshava Rao (1939-04-04) 4 April 1939 (age 86) Mahbubabad, Hyderabad State, British India (present–day Telangana, India)
Political party	Indian National Congress (till May 2013; 2024–present)
Other political affiliations	Bharat Rashtra Samithi (May 2013–2024)
Spouse	Vasanta Kumari
Children	4; including Gadwal Vijayalakshmi
Residence(s)	312, Telangana Bhawan, New Delhi
Alma mater	Osmania University Badruka College
Occupation	Political and Social Worker, Journalist and Educationist
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Rao served as the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president in the mid-2000s, during the tenure of late Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy in Andhra Pradesh. He joined the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), then Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in 2013 and served as the party secretary general. He was re-elected to Rajya Sabha in 2014 representing Andhra Pradesh.^[1] Despite being from Telangana he was assigned to Andhra Pradesh because of the lot method used to assign Rajya Sabha members for the newly created Telangana and residual Andhra Pradesh. In 2020, he was again re-elected for a six-year term representing Telangana.^[2][3][4]

K. Keshava Rao rejoined Congress party on 3 July 2024 in the presence of All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi.^[5][6][7] He was appointed as the Advisor (Public Affairs) to the Government of Telangana with Cabinet status by Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari on 6 July.^[8][9] He resigned from the Rajya Sabha on 4 July 2024.^[10]

Personal life

He was born to K. Niranjan Rao and Govindamma in Mahbubabad, Warangal, Hyderabad State on 13 December 1940 (official records 6 June 1939). He received his B.Comm from Badruka College, then pursued an M.A. at Osmania University's Arts College and later PhD from Osmania University, Hyderabad. He is married to Vasantha Kumari and has two sons and two daughters. One of his daughters, Gadwal Vijayalakshmi, is the current mayor of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.