K. Chengalaraya Reddy

Kyasamballi Chengaluraya Reddy (4 May 1902 – 27 February 1976) was the first Chief Minister of Karnataka (then Mysore State). Reddy later served as the Governor of Madhya Pradesh.

Kyasamballi Chengalaraya Reddy
3rd Governor of Madhya Pradesh
In office 10 February 1966 – 7 March 1971
Chief Minister	Dwarka Prasad Mishra Govind Narayan Singh Nareshchandra Singh Shyama Charan Shukla
Preceded by	P. V. Dixit (Acting)
Succeeded by	Satya Narayan Sinha
In office 11 February 1965 – 2 February 1966
Chief Minister	Dwarka Prasad Mishra
Preceded by	Hari Vinayak Pataskar
Succeeded by	P. V. Dixit (Acting)
Minister of Commerce and Industry
In office 5 April 1961 – 19 July 1963
Prime Minister	Jawaharlal Nehru
Preceded by	Lal Bahadur Shastri
Succeeded by	Manubhai Shah
1st Chief Minister of Mysore State
In office 25 October 1947 – 30 March 1952
Governor	Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar
Preceded by	Office Established
Succeeded by	Kengal Hanumanthaiah
Personal details
Born	4 May 1902 Kyasamballi, Kolar, Kingdom of Mysore, British India (Now in Karnataka, India)
Died	27 February 1976 (aged 73)
Political party	Indian National Congress

Early life

K.C. Reddy was born on 4 May 1902 into a Vokkaliga[1][2][3][4] family in Kyasamballi village, Kolar district. He was a revolutionary from childhood and participated in many protests against British rule in India.[5][6]

Career

After graduating in law, Reddy along with other political activists, founded the Praja Paksha (Peoples' Party) in 1930.[7] The aim of this party was to achieve responsible government in the Princely state of Mysore. The party gained support in rural areas as it largely highlighted the issues of farmers. The Praja Paksha and Praja Mitra Mandali joined to form the Praja Samyukta Paksha (Mysore People's Federation) in 1934. Reddy served as its president from 1935 to 1937.[8] Later, the federation merged with the Indian National Congress and participated in the Indian independence movement.[9] Reddy served as the president of Mysore Congress twice, in 1937–38 and 1946–47. He was also a member of the Constituent Assembly of India.

After independence of India in 1947, he was at the forefront of the Mysore Chalo movement seeking responsible state government in Mysore State and went on to become the first Chief Minister of the state.[10][11] He served in this position from 1947 to 1952.

Reddy was elected as a member of the Mysore Legislative Assembly in 1952. Subsequently, he served as a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1952 to 1957 and as a member of the Lok Sabha, representing Kolar from 1957 to 1962. During this period, he also served as Union Minister for Housing and Supplies (1957–61) and as Union Minister for Commerce and Industries (1961–62). Later, he also served as Governor of Madhya Pradesh from 1965 to 1971.[12]

Reddy's birth centenary was commemorated in 2002 when his contribution towards the development of Karnataka was hailed.[13]

See also

• List of Chief Ministers of Karnataka
• List of Governors of Madhya Pradesh

References

1. KC Reddy's 117th birth anniversary: Karnataka celebrates first chief minister.
2. Shankaragouda; Hanamantagouda Patil (2002). Community Dominance and Political Modernisation: The Lingayats. Mittal Publications. p. 353. ISBN 9788170998679. There are three chief ministers from Vokkaliga community (Sarvashri K.C. Reddy, K. Hanumathaiah and Kadidal Maniappa) between 1947 and 1956 in the Mysore state. The Vokkaligas dominated the politics of Mysore state during this period.
3. James Manor (1978). Political change in an Indian state: Mysore 1917-1955. South Asia Books. p. 213. ISBN 9780836400694. Most important among these were: a) K.C. Reddy: a Reddy "Vokkaliga" lawyer who had grown up in a village near the Kolar Gold Fields, he was to be president of the Kolar District Board, of the (non-Brahmin) People's Federation in l935 and of the Mysore Congress on two occasions in the pre- independence years. He was the most prominent figure in the pre- independence Congress and the first Chief Minister of Mysore, l947-52.
4. G. Narayana Reddy (1986). Rural Elite and Community Work: A Socio Political Perspective. Chugh Publications. p. 80. ISBN 9788185076034. Till 1956, most of the rural Mysore was dominated by Vokkaligas and the three Chief Ministers (K.C. Reddy, Hanumathaiah and Kodidal Manjappa) were also Vokkaligas.
5. "K.C. Reddy | Chief Minister of Karnataka | Personalities". Karnataka.com. 7 May 2013. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
6. "K. Chengalaraya Reddy - The Pioneer Politician". reddysociety.com. Archived from the original on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
7. "HISTORY OF FREEDOM MOVEMENT -7: The Mysore Congress". Ithihas.
8. Community dominance and political modernisation: the Lingayats - Shankaragouda Hanamantagouda Patil - Google Books
9. "Chapter I1 Trajectories of Development: History and Spatiality" (PDF).
10. "Freedom fighters get together for 'Mysore chalo' anniversary". The Hindu. 25 October 2006.
11. "When Independence breezed into Mysore". Mysore news.
12. "Former Governors of Madhya Pradesh - Shri Kyasamballi Chengalrao Reddy". Raj Bhavan Bhopal Official Website. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
13. "CM hails K.C.Reddy's contribution to State". The Hindu. 6 May 2002.

10. http://www.reddysociety.com/?q=node/35