Tanguturi Prakasam

Tanguturi Prakasam Biography

Tanguturi Prakasam was a famous politician and freedom fighter from south India who served as the first chief minister of Andhra Pradesh state. Earlier he served as Chief Minister of the Madras Presidency, before the formation of states. However the government lasted for only 11 months. He is fondly called ‘Andhra Kesari’. Noted singing actress of yesterdays, Tanguturi Suryakumari was his niece. "Naa Jeevitha Yathra" is his autobiography work published by Telugu Samithi. Many institutions have been named after him including Prakasam Engineering College Kandukur and Sri Prakasam Govt Junior College & High School.

He belonged to Vinodarayuni Palem to Prakasam District, Andhra Pradesh. He lost his father at the age of 11 and his mother ran a boarding house at Ongole. When his school teacher E. Hanumantha Rao Naidu shifted to Rajahmundry, he took young Tanguturi with him to give him best education. Prakasam failed his matriculation examination. He dreamt to become a lawyer since childhood. He reached Madras and become a second-grade pleader. Once he impressed a barrister with his skills, who later sugegsted him to become a barrister. He reached England and became a successful lawyer and returned back. He was one of the prominent barristers of Telugu in those days. He also ran a national school and a Khadi production centre.

He got elected as Municipal Chairman of Rajahmundry at a young age of 31, thus beginning his political career. He was elected the general secretary of the Congress Party in December 1921 at the Ahmedabad session. In 1926, he was elected to the Central Legislative Assembly. He got involved with freedom struggle movement and got arrested in Quit India Movement. In 1946, he won Madras Presidency elections as a congress politician and became Chief Minister.

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Updated: May 13, 2014