Hyderabad: Former Union minister and senior Congress leader S Jaipal Reddy passed away on Sunday at around 1.30 a.m. in Hyderabad. He was 77.
Reddy was admitted to the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology in Gachibowli with a high fever a few days back, and was undergoing treatment. On Saturday night, his condition turned critical and he breathed his last at 1.29 am.
He had been an active Congress worker in the initial days, but came out in protest against the party during Emergency in 1975. He later joined Janata Party and had been its general secretary between 1985 and 1988. He returned to the Congress in 90s.
He was elected to Lok Sabha for the first time in 1984 for the first time from Mahabubnagar parliamentary constituency. He was Rajya Sabha member from 1990 to 1996 and became Leader of Opposition in the Upper House in 1991-1992. He rejoined Congress in 1999 and was elected to Lok Sabha from Miryalguda in 2004. He won the next time in 2009 from Chevella constituency.
In Manmohan Singh government, he was Petroleum minister and later served as the Urban Development minister.
He won the best parliamentarian award in 1998.
