N. Bhaskara Rao

Nadendla Bhaskara Rao (born 23 June 1935)^[1] is an Indian politician who served as the 11th Chief minister of Andhra Pradesh for a brief period in 1984. His son Nadendla Manohar is the an MLA from Tenali and a current minister in the Chandrababu Naidu ministry, Government of Andhra Pradesh.

Nadendla Bhaskara Rao
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office 10 March 1998 – 26 April 1999
Preceded by	Tammineni Veerabhadram
Succeeded by	Renuka Chowdhury
Constituency	Khammam
11th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh
In office 16 August 1984 – 16 September 1984
Governor	Thakur Ram Lal Shankar Dayal Sharma
Preceded by	N.T. Rama Rao
Succeeded by	N.T. Rama Rao
Member of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly
In office 1989–1994
Preceded by	Annabatguni Sathyanarayana
Succeeded by	Ravi Ravindranath
Constituency	Tenali
In office 1983–1985
Preceded by	Yadlapati Venkata Rao
Succeeded by	Veeraiah Kodali
Constituency	Vemuru
In office 1978–1983
Preceded by	Dammalapati Rama Rao
Succeeded by	Adusumalli Jai Prakasha Rao
Constituency	Vijayawada East
Personal details
Born	(1935-06-23) 23 June 1935 (age 90) Guntur, Madras Presidency, British India
Political party	Bharatiya Janata Party (since 2019)
Other political affiliations	Indian National Congress (until 2019)
Relatives	Nadendla Manohar (son)

Early life

A lawyer by profession, he graduated from Osmania University, Hyderabad, he entered the AP state assembly in 1978. He served as a Minister of state in Chenna Reddy's cabinet.

Career

Bhaskar Rao entered the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly in 1978 and became a minister in Chenna Reddy's cabinet. He was one of the senior leaders who played a key role in the formation of Telugu Desam party in 1982. He was considered as co-founder of TDP and as the mentor of NT Rama Rao, who came to power and became the Chief Minister of the United Andhra Pradesh after TDP won assembly elections in 1983. Rao joined NTR cabinet as finance minister.^[1]

In August 1984, after one and a half years of the TDP's rule, Rao along with his supporters pulled a coup on the NTR government in August 1984 with the support of Congress (I) and a group within TDP when NTR was away in the US for treatment.^[2]

After his return from US, NTR started a nation wide 'save the democracy' protest that was supported by seventeen opposition parties. NTR wore black clothes, launched a statewide yathra, in the name of dharma yuddham. The central government, recalled the governor and reinstalled NTR as CM after Bhaskar Rao resigned. It was only instance in political history of India when a dismissed CM was reinstated. Later, Bhaskar Rao was expelled from TDP. Later, Bhaskara Rao joined Congress (I) along with his close supporter Amukurajah Rao.^[2][3]

Election to Lok Sabha

Bhaskara Rao was elected to the 12th Lok Sabha in 1998 from Khammam Lok Sabha constituency on Congress (i) ticket. He filed a defamation litigation on N.T.R: Mahanayakudu movie for portraying his character in a negative manner.^[4][5]

On 6 July 2019, after decades of political silence, he joined Bharatiya Janata Party in the presence of Union Home Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah at a public meeting in Shamshabad, near Hyderabad.^[3]

Autobiography

Bhaskar Rao's autobiography, Walking with destiny, was released in May 2012. TDP dismissed the book and alleged that it was a "bundle of lies". In an interview to a TV channel, Bhaskar Rao, criticised the late NT Rama Rao for alleged Mallela Babji and other incidents. He said that he desisted from going public with the facts so as not to hurt the sentiments of NTR fans.^[6]