A new site, built from published sources. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us
Telugu Historyతెలుగు చరిత్ర

Legislatures & government, 1952–2014

The elected houses that made laws for the Telugu districts from the first general elections of 1952 to the division of 2014: the Hyderabad Legislative Assembly, the Madras Assembly and the Andhra Legislative Assembly at Kurnool, and the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council at Hyderabad. With the chief ministers, governors and periods of President's rule that the official records name.

From 1952 the Telugu districts sent elected members to state legislatures (law-making houses).1 Until 1956 they belonged to three different states: Madras, Hyderabad and, from 1953, the Andhra State.12 From 1956 to 2014 one Legislative Assembly at Hyderabad made laws for all of Andhra Pradesh.34

This page describes those houses, how many members they had, and who led the governments they supported.56 How the borders changed is told on How the map changed.

About the sources. The figures on this page come from the reports of the Election Commission, from India: A Reference Annual (a yearly handbook of the Government of India), from legislative debates and from two scholarly studies. The Election Commission’s statistical reports for Andhra Pradesh could not be reached for this page. Where a figure is missing, no reachable official or scholarly source gave it. Party strengths given “as on” a date are the position on that day, not the result of an election.

Two states, two assemblies, 1952–1953

The first general elections took place in 1951–52.1 At that time the coastal districts and Rayalaseema were part of Madras State, and Telangana was part of Hyderabad State.1 So the Telugu districts voted for two different assemblies.1

The Madras Legislative Assembly

The Madras Assembly had 140 seats for the Andhra areas, according to Nagulapalli Bhaskara Rao’s study of 1968.1 He writes that the Communists won 41 of these seats and the Congress 40.1 Across the whole Madras State, no single party won a clear majority.1 Bhaskara Rao counts 223 members who were not Congress members against 152 who were.1

The political scientists who reported on the election for the Indian Political Science Association looked at the Madras results by region.7 According to their report, the Communist Party won 27 per cent of the seats from the Andhra districts.7 The Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party drew most of its members from the Andhra districts too.7 Visakhapatnam (then Vizagapatam) district returned no Congress member at all.7

The Hyderabad Legislative Assembly

In Hyderabad State a civil chief minister, M. K. Vellodi, governed after the end of military rule in December 1949.8 After the elections of March 1952, a ministry was formed under B. Ramakrishna Rao.8

The same political science report found that the Congress won 93 of the 173 Assembly seats it contested in Hyderabad State.9 The People’s Democratic Front, an alliance of left-wing groups, won 42 of the 78 seats it contested.9 The report says the Front was strongest in Karimnagar, Nalgonda and Warangal districts.9

The Andhra Legislative Assembly at Kurnool, 1953–1956

The Andhra State was formed on 1 October 1953, with its government at Kurnool.2 On that day it was inaugurated with T. Prakasam as Chief Minister.10 C. M. Trivedi was sworn in as Governor the same day.10

The new state had no Legislative Council (upper house).11 Its Legislative Assembly was given 140 seats.5 These were the seats of the members from the Andhra districts in the old Madras Assembly, whose strength fell from 375 to 230.5

The Prakasam ministry resigned on 6 November 1954.12 On 15 November 1954 the President took over the government of the state (President’s rule).1213

A new election was held in February 1955.14 A delimitation (redrawing of constituencies) had raised the Assembly to 196 seats.1514 By November 1955 B. Gopala Reddi was Chief Minister, and he moved the government’s motion on the report of the States Reorganisation Commission.16

The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, 1956–2014

Andhra Pradesh was formed on 1 November 1956, with Hyderabad city as its capital.3 On that day N. Sanjiva Reddy became the first Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.17

A partial election in 1957

Parliament decided not to dissolve the Andhra Assembly elected in 1955.18 Its members became members of the new Andhra Pradesh Assembly, and their term was extended to 1962.18 Only the Telangana area, newly joined from Hyderabad State, elected members in 1957.18 Two vacant seats of the old Andhra area, Proddatur and Bhadrachalam, were filled at the same time.18

The Election Commission treated these 1957 polls as bye-elections, not as a general election.18 Polling in Andhra Pradesh took place on 25 February and on 1, 4, 7 and 11 March 1957.19 The Commission’s report of 1962 also says that the assembly elections of 1957 in Andhra Pradesh were partial, not general.20

On 1 March 1958 the Assembly had 301 seats, one of them vacant.6 The Congress held 213 seats on that day.6

Size of the Assembly

The number of seats changed several times:

  • in 1960 a boundary change with Madras State reduced the Assembly from 301 to 300 seats21
  • for the elections of 1967 the Assembly was reduced from 311 to 287 seats, according to Bhaskara Rao22

The first change came when most of the Tiruttani and Ramakrishnarajupet constituencies went to Madras.21 The two constituencies there were replaced by one two-member constituency, Sathyavedu.21 Bhaskara Rao explains the second change by the new delimitation after the census of 1961.22 He does not say when the Assembly had grown to 311 seats.22

The 1962 election and after

In 1962 the whole state voted together for the first time.1 The new Andhra Pradesh ministry headed by N. Sanjiva Reddy was sworn in on 12 March 1962.23 S. M. Shrinagesh was sworn in as Governor on 7 September 1962.24

On 23 February 1964 the Andhra Pradesh legislature endorsed Sanjiva Reddy’s resignation as Chief Minister.25 A new cabinet headed by K. Brahmananda Reddy was sworn in on 29 February 1964.25

1971–1983

P. V. Narasimha Rao was Chief Minister from 1971 to 1973.26 On 17 January 1973 the Governor reported that he had resigned with his council of ministers.27 On 18 January 1973 the President took over the government of the state.27 The Assembly was suspended, not dissolved.27 President’s rule was revoked on 10 December 1973.28

J. Vengala Rao was Chief Minister from 1973 to 1978.29 In March 1978 M. Chenna Reddy was sworn in as Chief Minister.30 On 20 February 1982 Chief Minister T. Anjaiah submitted his resignation.31 On 26 November 1982 it was announced that Andhra Pradesh would elect a new Assembly on 5 January 1983.32

1983–2014

The handbook India lists each state’s Governor and Chief Minister at the time it went to press.3334 Its editions name these Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh:

Edition of IndiaGovernor namedChief Minister named
1983Ram LalN. T. Rama Rao
1988–89Kumudben JoshiN. T. Rama Rao
1990—M. Chenna Reddy
1993—K. Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy
2001C. RangarajanN. Chandrababu Naidu
2008—Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy

The table draws on six editions of India.333536373834 A dash means that the copy read for this page did not show the name clearly or did not give it. These editions show who held office at one moment, not the dates on which each term began or ended.3334

On 27 November 1989 N. T. Rama Rao resigned as Chief Minister and recommended that the Assembly be dissolved.39 On 3 December 1989 a ministry of 19 members headed by M. Chenna Reddy was sworn in.40 In 2004 Andhra Pradesh voted in two phases, on 20 and 26 April.41

The Legislative Council, from 1958

The Constitution allows a state to have a second house, the Legislative Council.42 In 1957 Parliament passed the Legislative Councils Act after the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and others asked for councils.42 The Act created a Legislative Council for Andhra Pradesh.42 Its schedule fixed the Council at 90 members.43

The Council was listed with 90 seats on 1 March 1958 and on 31 January 1963.644 Its members served six-year terms.20 In 1962 one-third of them were due to retire, and the Andhra Pradesh seats fell vacant on 30 June.20

Division, 2014

The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 received the President’s assent on 1 March 2014.4 It formed a new State of Telangana from ten districts.4 The change was to take effect from an “appointed day”, to be notified.4 The page How the map changed lists the districts.

Where the sources disagree

  • Congress seats in the Andhra areas, 1952. Bhaskara Rao first gives the Congress 40 of the 140 Andhra seats in the Madras Assembly.1 Two pages later he compares the Congress result of 1955 with 33 seats “in 1951”.14 The second figure may count a smaller area, but he does not say so.14
  • Communist seats in Telangana, 1952. Bhaskara Rao writes that the Communists won 45 of 175 seats in the Telangana areas of Hyderabad State.1 The political science report of 1956 gives the People’s Democratic Front 42 seats, out of 78 that it contested.9
  • Congress strength after 1962. Bhaskara Rao gives the Congress 177 members soon after the 1962 election.45 India 1963 gives 175 Congress members on 31 January 1963.44 The two figures come from different dates.4544

Footnotes

  1. Nagulapalli Bhaskara Rao, Fourth General Elections in Andhra Pradesh (M.A. thesis, Kansas State University, 1968), pp. 3–4 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12

  2. The History of the Andhra Pradesh Police (1861–1961) (1961), pp. 249–250 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2

  3. History of the Andhra Pradesh Police (1961), p. 260 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2

  4. The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 (Act No. 6 of 2014), ss. 2–4, pp. 1–2 (Gazette copy (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  5. Election Commission, Report on the Second General Elections in India, 1957, Vol. I (1959), p. 20 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  6. Research and Reference Division, India 1958: A Reference Annual (1958), p. 64, table 26 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  7. S. V. Kogekar and Richard L. Park (eds.), Reports on the Indian General Elections, 1951–52 (1956), pp. 113–114 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  8. Regani, Highlights (1956), p. 234 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2

  9. Kogekar and Park (eds.), Reports on the Indian General Elections, 1951–52 (1956), p. 179 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  10. Research and Reference Division, India 1954: A Reference Annual (1954), p. 436, events of 1 October 1953 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2

  11. Election Commission, Report on the Second General Elections in India, 1957, Vol. I (1959), p. 17 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  12. Research and Reference Division, India 1955: A Reference Annual (1955), p. 626, events of 6 and 15 November 1954 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2

  13. History of the Andhra Pradesh Police (1961), p. 254 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  14. Bhaskara Rao, Fourth General Elections in Andhra Pradesh (1968), pp. 5–6 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  15. Election Commission, Report on the Second General Elections in India, 1957, Vol. I (1959), p. 21 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  16. Andhra Legislative Assembly Debates, 25 November 1955, pp. 1–2 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  17. Andhra Pradesh (Telugu monthly of the Andhra Pradesh Information and Public Relations Department), Vol. 1, No. 1 (November–December 1956), p. 16 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  18. Election Commission, Report on the Second General Elections in India, 1957, Vol. I (1959), pp. 118–119 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  19. Election Commission, Report on the Second General Elections in India, 1957, Vol. I (1959), p. 117 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  20. Election Commission, Report on the Third General Elections in India, 1962, Vol. I (1965), pp. 2–3 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  21. Election Commission, Report on the Third General Elections in India, 1962, Vol. I (1965), p. 5 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  22. Bhaskara Rao, Fourth General Elections in Andhra Pradesh (1968), p. 13 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  23. India 1963: A Reference Annual (1963), p. 422, events of 12 March 1962 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  24. India 1963: A Reference Annual (1963), p. 429, events of 7 September 1962 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  25. Research and Reference Division, India 1965: A Reference Annual (1965), p. 496, events of 23 and 29 February 1964 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2

  26. Lok Sabha Debates, 25 February 2005, obituary references, PDF p. 1 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  27. Lok Sabha Debates, 28 February 1973, statutory resolution on the Proclamation in relation to Andhra Pradesh, speech of the Minister of State for Home Affairs, cols. 230–233 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  28. Lok Sabha Debates, 10 December 1973, “Revocation of Proclamation in relation to the State of Andhra Pradesh”, col. 335 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  29. Lok Sabha Debates, 25 October 1999, obituary references, PDF pp. 2–3 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  30. Research and Reference Division, India 1979: A Reference Annual (1979), p. 475, events of March 1978 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  31. Research and Reference Division, India 1983: A Reference Annual (1983), p. 531, events of 20 February 1982 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  32. India 1983: A Reference Annual (1983), p. 561, events of 26 November 1982 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  33. India 1983: A Reference Annual (1983), p. 475, Andhra Pradesh (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  34. Research, Reference and Training Division, India 2008: A Reference Annual (2008), p. 935, Andhra Pradesh (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  35. Research and Reference Division, India 1988–89: A Reference Annual (1989), p. 670, Andhra Pradesh (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  36. Research and Reference Division, India 1990: A Reference Annual (1990), p. 747, Andhra Pradesh (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  37. Research and Reference Division, India 1993: A Reference Annual (1994), p. 734, Andhra Pradesh (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  38. Research and Reference Division, India 2001: A Reference Annual (2001), p. 685, Andhra Pradesh (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  39. India 1990: A Reference Annual (1990), p. 862, events of 27 November 1989 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  40. India 1990: A Reference Annual (1990), p. 863, events of 3 December 1989 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  41. India 2008: A Reference Annual (2008), p. 53 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  42. Election Commission, Report on the Second General Elections in India, 1957, Vol. I (1959), pp. 18–19 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  43. Election Commission, Report on the Second General Elections in India, 1957, Vol. I (1959), p. 283, schedule to the Legislative Councils Act, 1957 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  44. Research and Reference Division, India 1963: A Reference Annual (1963), p. 51, table 20 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  45. Bhaskara Rao, Fourth General Elections in Andhra Pradesh (1968), p. 8 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2

References

Sources (25)
  1. Election Commission, India, Report on the Second General Elections in India, 1957, Vol. I (General) (opens in a new tab), Manager of Publications, Delhi (Government of India Press, Faridabad), 1959, pp. 18–21, 117–119, 283. [Public domain in India]
  2. Election Commission, India, Report on the Third General Elections in India, 1962, Vol. I (General) (opens in a new tab), Election Commission, India, 1965, pp. 3, 5. [Public domain in India]
  3. S. V. Kogekar and Richard L. Park (eds.), Reports on the Indian General Elections, 1951-52 (opens in a new tab), Popular Book Depot, Bombay (for the Indian Political Science Association), 1956, pp. 113–114, 179. Cite-only; paraphrased. [All rights reserved (cited, not reproduced)]
  4. Nagulapalli Bhaskara Rao, Fourth General Elections in Andhra Pradesh (M.A. thesis, Kansas State University) (opens in a new tab), Kansas State University, 1968, pp. 3–8, 13, 73. Cite-only; paraphrased. [All rights reserved (cited, not reproduced)]
  5. Research and Reference Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India 1954: A Reference Annual (opens in a new tab), Publications Division, Delhi, 1954, pp. 436. [Public domain in India]
  6. Research and Reference Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India 1955: A Reference Annual (opens in a new tab), Publications Division, Delhi, 1955, pp. 626. [Public domain in India]
  7. Research and Reference Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India 1958: A Reference Annual (opens in a new tab), Publications Division, Delhi, 1958, pp. 64, 530. [Public domain in India]
  8. Research and Reference Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India 1963: A Reference Annual (opens in a new tab), Publications Division, Delhi, 1963, pp. 51, 422, 429. [Public domain in India]
  9. Research and Reference Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India 1965: A Reference Annual (opens in a new tab), Publications Division, Delhi, 1965, pp. 496. [Public domain in India]
  10. Research and Reference Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India 1979: A Reference Annual (opens in a new tab), Publications Division, New Delhi, 1979, pp. 475. Cite-only; paraphrased. [All rights reserved (cited, not reproduced)]
  11. Research and Reference Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India 1983: A Reference Annual (opens in a new tab), Publications Division, New Delhi, 1983, pp. 475, 531, 561. Cite-only; paraphrased. [All rights reserved (cited, not reproduced)]
  12. Research and Reference Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India 1988-89: A Reference Annual (opens in a new tab), Publications Division, New Delhi, 1989, pp. 670. Cite-only; paraphrased. [All rights reserved (cited, not reproduced)]
  13. Research and Reference Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India 1990: A Reference Annual (opens in a new tab), Publications Division, New Delhi, 1990, pp. 747, 862–863. Cite-only; paraphrased. [All rights reserved (cited, not reproduced)]
  14. Research and Reference Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India 1993: A Reference Annual (opens in a new tab), Publications Division, New Delhi, 1994, pp. 734. Cite-only; paraphrased. [All rights reserved (cited, not reproduced)]
  15. Research and Reference Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India 2001: A Reference Annual (opens in a new tab), Publications Division, New Delhi, 2001, pp. 685. Cite-only; paraphrased. [All rights reserved (cited, not reproduced)]
  16. Research, Reference and Training Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India 2008: A Reference Annual (opens in a new tab), Publications Division, New Delhi, 2008, pp. 53, 935. Cite-only; paraphrased. [All rights reserved (cited, not reproduced)]
  17. Sarojini Regani, Highlights of the Freedom Movement in Andhra Pradesh (opens in a new tab), Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, 1956, pp. 234. Cite-only; paraphrased. [All rights reserved (cited, not reproduced)]
  18. Inspector-General of Police, Andhra Pradesh, The History of the Andhra Pradesh Police (1861-1961) (opens in a new tab), Government of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, 1961, pp. 249–250, 254, 260. [Public domain in India]
  19. Andhra Legislative Assembly, Andhra Legislative Assembly Debates, Official Report: Friday, the 25th November 1955 (Discussion on the report of the States Reorganization Commission) (opens in a new tab), Andhra Government Press, Kurnool, 1955, pp. 1–2. [Public domain in India]
  20. Information and Public Relations Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, ఆంధ్రప్రదేశ్ (Andhra Pradesh), Vol. 1, No. 1, November-December 1956 (opens in a new tab), Information and Public Relations Department, Andhra Pradesh (printed at Ajanta Printers), 1956, pp. 16. [Public domain in India]
  21. Lok Sabha, Statutory resolution on the Proclamation in relation to the State of Andhra Pradesh (Lok Sabha debates, 28 February 1973) (opens in a new tab), Lok Sabha Secretariat, 1973, cols. 230–233. Cite-only; paraphrased. [All rights reserved (cited, not reproduced)]
  22. Lok Sabha, Proclamation revoking President's rule in Andhra Pradesh laid on the Table (Lok Sabha debates, 10 December 1973) (opens in a new tab), Lok Sabha Secretariat, 1973, col. 335. Cite-only; paraphrased. [All rights reserved (cited, not reproduced)]
  23. Lok Sabha, Obituary references: J. Vengala Rao and others (Lok Sabha debates, 25 October 1999) (opens in a new tab), Lok Sabha Secretariat, 1999, PDF pp. 2–3. Cite-only; paraphrased. [All rights reserved (cited, not reproduced)]
  24. Lok Sabha, Obituary references: P. V. Narasimha Rao and others (Lok Sabha debates, 25 February 2005) (opens in a new tab), Lok Sabha Secretariat, 2005, PDF p. 1. Cite-only; paraphrased. [All rights reserved (cited, not reproduced)]
  25. Parliament of India, The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 (Act No. 6 of 2014) (opens in a new tab), Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 1 (1 March 2014), 2014, pp. 1–2 (ss. 2–4). [Public domain (Indian enactment; Copyright Act 1957, s. 52(1)(q))]

Spotted an error on this page? Tell us

Last updated: