imported>BretBroussard26 at 10:09, 1 March 2026

2026-03-01T10:09:16Z

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{{Short description|Indian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name =Bezawada Gopala Reddy
| image = Bezawada Gopal Reddy (cropped).png
| imagesize =
| caption = Reddy in 1944
| order = 6th
| office = Governor of Uttar Pradesh
| term_start = 1 May 1967
| term_end = 30 June 1972
| 1blankname = {{nowrap|Chief Minister}}
| 1namedata = [[Charan Singh]] [[Chandra Bhanu Gupta]] [[Tribhuvan Narain Singh]] [[Kamalapati Tripathi]]
| predecessor = [[Bishwanath Das]]
| successor = Shashi Kant Varma {{small|(Acting)}}
| office1 = 4th [[Minister of Information and Broadcasting (India)|Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting]]
| term_start1 = 10 April 1962
| term_end1 = 31 August 1963
| primeminister1 = [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]
| predecessor1 = [[B. V. Keskar]]
| successor1 = [[Satya Narayan Sinha]]
| office2 = [[Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha]]
| term_start2 = 1962
| term_end2 = 1967
| predecessor2 = ''Constituency established''
| successor2 = R. D. Reddy
| constituency2 = [[Kavali]]
| office3 = 4th [[Minister of Finance (India)|Union Minister of State for Revenue and Civil Expenditure]]
| term_start3 = 10 May 1958
| term_end3 = 7 April 1961
| primeminister3 = [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]
| minister3 = [[Morarji Desai]]
| predecessor3 = [[Manilal Chaturbhai Shah]]
| successor3 = [[Bali Ram Bhagat]]
| office4 = [[Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha]]
| term_start4 = 18 August 1958
| term_end4 = 27 February 1962
| predecessor4 = TJM Wilson
| successor4 = N. Narotham Reddy
| constituency4 = [[List of Rajya Sabha members from Andhra Pradesh|Andhra Pradesh]]
| office5 = 2nd [[Andhra State#Chief ministers|Chief Minister of Andhra State]]
| term_start5 = 28 March 1955
| term_end5 = 1 November 1956
| governor5 = [[Chandulal Madhavlal Trivedi]]
| predecessor5 = [[Tanguturi Prakasam]]
| successor5 = ''Office dissolved'' {{small|(''[[Neelam Sanjiva Reddy]] as Chief Minister of [[United Andhra Pradesh]]'')}} | deputy5 = [[Neelam Sanjiva Reddy]]
| office6 = [[Member of Legislative Assembly (India)|Member]] of [[Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly]]
| term_start6 = 1955
| term_end6 = 1958
| predecessor6 = Ganga Chinna Kondaiah
| successor6 = Anam Sanjeeva Reddy
| constituency6 = [[Atmakur Assembly constituency|Atmakur]]
| office7 = 2nd [[Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee|President of Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee]]
| term_start7 = 1955
| term_end7 = 1956
| 1blankname7 = [[All India Congress Committee|AICC]] President
| 1namedata7 = [[U. N. Dhebar]]
| predecessor7 = [[Neelam Sanjiva Reddy]]
| successor7 = [[Damodaram Sanjivayya]]
| birth_name = Bezawada Gopala Reddy
| birth_date = 5 August 1907
| birth_place = [[Buchireddypalem]], [[Madras Presidency]], [[British Raj|British India]] (now in [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[India]])
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1997|3|9|1907|8|5}}
| death_place = [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India
| nationality = [[India]]n
| height =
| spouse = Lakshmikanthamma
| party = [[Indian National Congress]]
| relatives = [[Bezawada Ramachandra Reddy]]
| homepage =
| notable role =
| academyawards =
}}

'''Bezawada Gopala Reddy''' (5 August 1907 – 9 March 1997) was an Indian freedom fighter, writer and politician. He was the second and last [[List of chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh|Chief Minister]] of the erstwhile Indian state, [[Andhra State]] from 1955 to 1956 and later served as the [[List of governors of Uttar Pradesh|Governor of Uttar Pradesh]] from 1967 to 1972. He was popularly known as "Andhra Tagore" in recognition of his literary works.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Prasad |first=P. V. |date=2019-04-02 |title=Reputed political families in Nellore lose charm |url=https://www.thehansindia.com/andhra-pradesh/reputed-political-families-in-nellore-lose-charm-517457 |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=www.thehansindia.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Early and personal life==
Reddy was born on 5 August 1907 in [[Buchireddypalem]] in the [[Nellore district]] of present-day [[Andhra Pradesh]] (then part of [[Madras Presidency]]) to Pattabhiram Reddy and Seethamma. He completed his school education in the same village before furthering his studies at Andhra Jatiya Kalashala from 1921 to 1924 in [[Machilipatnam]]. Reddy pursued graduation in [[Doctor of Letters|D.Litt]] at [[Visva-Bharati University]] in [[Shantiniketan]], [[West Bengal]]. Upon his return from West Bengal in 1927, he actively participated in the freedom movement, notably contributing to the [[Salt March]] and [[Quit India Movement]]. As a consequence of his involvement, he faced arrest and imprisonment at Vellore and Tanjavore jails.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mahotsav |first=Amrit |title=Bejawada Gopal Reddy |url=https://amritmahotsav.nic.in/unsung-heroes-detail.htm?2780 |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Ministry of Culture, Government of India |language=English}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=India |first=The Hans |date=2022-08-15 |title=Nellore: Kin of freedom fighters felicitated |url=https://www.thehansindia.com/andhra-pradesh/nellore-kin-of-freedom-fighters-felicitated-757793 |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=www.thehansindia.com |language=en}}</ref>

Reddy was married to Lakshmikanthamma, the daughter of the freedom fighter Tikkavarapu Rami Reddy and Sudarshanamma. She was also a student at Shantiniketan and involved in the freedom movement.<ref>{{Cite news |date=13 August 2023 |title=Nellore women who stole limelight during freedom struggle |work=[[Deccan Chronicle]] |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/in-other-news/130822/nellore-women-who-stole-limelight-during-freedom-struggle.html}}</ref> Reddy's admiration for [[Rabindranath Tagore]]'s works inspired him to translate many of his books into the [[Telugu language]].

==Political career==
Member A.I.C.C., since 1931; M.L.A., Madras, 1937–46; was Minister Local Administration, Government of Madras, 1937–39; President Andhra Pradesh, 1955–56; Finance Minister, Madras, 1947; Home Minister, Andhra Pradesh, 1956; Finance Minister, Andhra Pradesh, 1957; M.P. Rajya Sabha, 1958–60, Lok Sabha, 1962; Minister of Revenue and Civil Expenditure Government of India, 1958–61; Minister for Information and Broadcasting 1962–63; resigned under the Kamraj Plan; Chairman, Children's Film Society; President: Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha (A.P.); Telugu Bhasha Samiti, since 1947; A.P. Sahitya Academy, since 1957; All-India Chess Federation, since 1959; Governor of U.P. since 1 May 1967.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Official Website of Governor's Secretariat, Raj Bhavan Lucknow Uttar Pradesh, India. / |url=https://upgovernor.gov.in/en/post/dr-bezwada-gopala-reddy?brd=1 |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=upgovernor.gov.in}}</ref>

==Death and legacy==
Reddy was admitted to the hospital following an accident just 10 days prior to his death. He died on 9 May 1997 at the age of 89, after being discharged from the hospital at his son's residence.<ref>{{Cite news |date=10 March 1997 |title=Former Up Governor Gopala Reddy Passes Away |work=[[Business Standard]] |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/former-up-governor-gopala-reddy-passes-away-197031001131_1.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Today in Indian History - Bezawada Gopala Reddy, 89, former Union Minister and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, died. |url=https://www.seattleindian.com/seattle/historicaleventdetails.asp?id=3614 |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=www.seattleindian.com}}</ref> An award in his honor was established and is known as the "Dr. Bezawada Gopala Reddy Award", recognising individuals in the fields of Telugu literature and politics for their contributions.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1970-01-01 |title=Rosaiah given Bezawada Gopala Reddy Award |url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/rosaiah-given-bezawada-gopala-reddy-award-495285.html |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=News18 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2014-10-21 |title=Bezawada Gopala Reddy Award for Mohan Babu |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/bezawada-gopala-reddy-award-for-mohan-babu/article6524132.ece |access-date=2023-11-21 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

==Awards==
Reddy received the prestigious [[Raja-Lakshmi Award]] for the year 1989, conferred upon him by the [[Sri Raja-Lakshmi Foundation]], Chennai.<ref>{{Cite web |title=TFASNJ.ORG {{!}} Telugu Fine Arts Society, New Jersey, North America |url=https://tfasnj.org/tfas-awards.php |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=tfasnj.org}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh]]

==Sources==
*[http://rulers.org/1997-03.html Rulers]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130605004856/http://www.cpbrownacademy.org/dr_Bejawada_Gopala_Reddy_Biography.asp "'Sahithi Brindavana Sanchary' Dr. Bejawada Gopala Reddy" from C. P. Brown Academy]
*[http://www.reddysociety.com/?q=node/33] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181216031244/http://www.reddysociety.com/?q=node%2F33 |date=16 December 2018 }}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Subject bar
|commons = yes
|commons-search = Category:Bezawada Gopala Reddy
|d = yes
|d-search = Q4900304
|portal1 = Biography
|portal2 = India
|portal3 = Politics
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{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reddy, Bezawada Gopala}}
[[Category:1907 births]]
[[Category:1997 deaths]]
[[Category:Chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Telugu politicians]]
[[Category:Home ministers of Andhra Pradesh|G]]
[[Category:Chief ministers from Indian National Congress]]
[[Category:Governors of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Politicians from Nellore district]]
[[Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Bengali–Telugu translators]]
[[Category:Andhra movement]]
[[Category:Chief ministers of Andhra State]]
[[Category:Presidents of Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee]]
[[Category:Rajya Sabha members from Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:India MPs 1962–1967]]
[[Category:Ministers for information and broadcasting of India]]
[[Category:Chief ministers of Indian states]]

Bezawada Gopala Reddy - Revision history

imported>BretBroussard26 at 10:09, 1 March 2026