Close, Dear, and Beloved ‘Aatmiyudu’ Late Nadendla Bhaskara Rao : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

 Close, Dear, and Beloved ‘Aatmiyudu’

Late Nadendla Bhaskara Rao

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

(April 23, 2026)

Shri Nadendla Bhaskara Rao, former Chief Minister of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, was a leader of immense political consequence whose impact far exceeded his brief 1984 tenure as Chief Minister of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. From his entry into public life until his passing on April 22, 2026, he remained an architect of the state’s political identity, leaving an indelible mark. Upon hearing of his demise, I had been to his familiar residence in Jubilee Hills, a place that holds couple of interesting memories for me, to pay my final, heartfelt tributes to a soul who was truly a legendary pillar of our political history.

There, I had the opportunity to meet his son, Nadendla Manohar, currently Cabinet Minister in Andhra Pradesh. As I offered my deepest condolences, the moment transformed into an emotional reflection on his father's enduring influence. While introducing me to a political colleague (Whom I too know), Manohar and I subtly touched the aspect of my long association with the late leader.

It was moving to hear him recount how frequently I was in touch with his father, constantly exchanging thoughts on the shifting political developments that he navigated with such profound insight. I still remember, introducing Manohar to me way back, his father, telling me that he was a nationally ranked tennis player from India and participated in various tennis tournaments globally.

While I cannot pinpoint the exact moment our acquaintance began nearly four decades ago, it is a bond I hold in the highest regard, though I hesitate to claim 'friendship' out of sheer respect for the vast distance between his stature and my own. Over these forty years, my admiration for Nadendla Bhaskara Rao has followed a singular, unwavering trajectory: it has only ever increased, never once faltering or declining by even the slightest measure.

I first witnessed the power of his legacy when NT Rama Rao founded the formidable Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1982, with the Nadendla Bhaskara Rao serving as the ‘Critical Mass’ within it. While NTR was the movement's charismatic face, Bhaskara Rao was its ‘Strategic Architect,’ providing the structural gravity that shaped the destiny of AP, which mark is still distinctly visible, and perhaps enduring.

Being one of the (or the first among the) senior leaders who played a key role in the formation of Telugu Desam party he, NTR after he became the Chief Minister, Bhaskar Rao joined his cabinet as finance minister. Regardless of one’s perspective, and his portfolio, to which none other would have done so much justice, his implicit and explicit presence was a catalyst at every pivotal stage of political development, leaving an imprint that remains.

During my association with him, there were many politically interesting aspects that I had an occasion to either closely observe or being passively part of it. I fondly reminisce few, which are ever unforgettable. When late Bhaskar Rao entered the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly in 1978 and became a minister in Chenna Reddy's cabinet, I did not know him at all. Only when he became second time MLA during 1983-85, I came in contact with him. 

My first precise contact, though the date escapes me, was through the late former minister Rambhupal Chowdary. When Bhaskara Rao seized the opportunity to replace NT Rama Rao as CM, acting in the true spirit of a leader seeking power, as any politician worth their salt would, it was a move that, had he failed, would have resulted in a very different personal story. I will desist from discussing the pros and cons of that transition here, but shall do so later.

Throughout Nadendla Bhaskara Rao’s political ups and downs, I remained in touch with him, always finding him full of optimism. I frequently sought his prescriptive, descriptive, and comprehensive perspective on contemporary politics. His responses were marked by extraordinary brevity and a firm sense of political ethics. For him, ‘Right was Right’ and ‘Wrong was Wrong.’ He never minced words, a trait I can personally vouch for as being entirely true.

During the 1989-94 term, Bhaskara Rao was elected to the Assembly and, despite being restrained from campaigning, remained an aspirant for the Chief Minister’s post. However, Dr M Channa Reddy, then President of the APCC (I), was the automatic choice of the Congress High Command, as it was he who had led the party to a landslide victory in the Assembly elections.

I vividly remember the sportsman spirit of Nadendla Bhaskara Rao on the day the AICC observers decided on Channa Reddy’s name at the Raj Bhavan guest house. In typical Congress fashion, they held a series of individual discussions with MLAs, a unique display of party discipline! Regardless of how many supported whom, Channa Reddy was ultimately chosen.

I was present at the Raj Bhavan premises that day. Knowing my prior association with Dr Channa Reddy, it was Nadendla Bhaskara Rao himself who informed me of the decision in advance. Despite my subsequent role as PRO to Chief Minister Channa Reddy, our association continued. Later, during the 1998 Lok Sabha elections, he was chosen as the Congress candidate for Khammam, a ticket I am certain he did not lobby for, unlike many others. I recall being at his residence either when the announcement arrived or upon his return from Delhi with the ticket, even as a young Youth Congress leader had been expecting it.

While I was with Bhaskara Rao, an MLA from his Khammam constituency called in distress, reporting that a Youth Congress leader had ransacked his residence at the MLA Quarters. Without hesitation, Bhaskara Rao reached the spot to console him, immediately directing the authorities to take action and promising his full support. That was the essence of Bhaskara Rao: a leader of action. I was by his side throughout the incident. Interestingly, that same Youth Congress leader is now a member of the BJP.

The 1998 election campaign in Khammam was formidable, as Bhaskara Rao faced a powerful sitting MP from the CPI(M) who had previously defeated a Union Cabinet Minister. Being from the district myself, I visited Khammam couple of times to assist, including facilitating (only) contact with a prominent political family. Although Shri Bhaskara Rao won that election, his term was cut short by mid-term polls, after which he was denied a ticket, for the next election.

Nadendla Bhaskara Rao’s 1984 transition should be understood not as a ‘Backstab or Front-stab,’ but through the same lens of pragmatic leadership that defines India’s most seasoned veterans, examples of which are numerous. Sharad Pawar dislodged Vasantdada Patil in 1978 at just 38 years of age. Ajit Pawar navigated complex coalitions to serve as Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister six times, eventually securing the party name and symbol for his faction. The ‘Nitish Kumar style’ of flexible alliances has become a synonym for modern democratic stability, where shifting allegiances are seen not as an end, but as a means to uphold a mandate.

Right or wrong, Nadendla’s actions were perhaps rooted in the belief that the state, at that particular point in time, required a decisive course correction. Therefore, why should credibility not be given to Bhaskara Rao, who may have acted as a catalyst for political evolution? How can it be ‘political dexterity’ when others did it, yet a ‘backstab’ for Nadendla? Bhaskara Rao’s legacy is that of a bold individual who, in the spirit of the nation’s greatest political strategists, was willing to navigate complex landscapes to steer his state toward a new direction.  

A visionary who presented 1984 as pragmatic leadership, Nadendla Bhaskara Rao was a decisive architect of political evolution. At our last meeting, he remained cheerful and energetic. I cherish our final photograph together. May his Great Soul Rest in Peace.