Who was Jaipal Reddy? Brilliant orator and a parliamentarian par excellence

New Delhi, July 28: 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. Known for his oratory skills Jaipal Reddy carved a niche for himself in Parliament and State assembly alike.

He was a four-term MLA, member of Lok Sabha for five terms and member of Rajya Sabha for two terms. Reddy was the Information and Broadcasting Minister in the IK Gujral government. During the UPA-1 government he held portfolios like urban development and culture. In UPA-2, he was again assigned the urban development ministry.

Later, he became the minister of petroleum and natural gas but was shifted to the science and technology and earth sciences ministries, creating a political storm.

The former union minister is also remembered for capturing the public with his speeches, especially as an MLA from the Kalwakurthy seat (in Mahbubnagar district) for four terms between 1969 and 1984. He however quit the Congress in protest against former prime minister Indira Gandhi's imposition of the Emergency in 1977, and had joined the Janata Party then led by Jayaprakash Narayan.

The former veteran leader was also a staunch supporter of Telangana's statehood, and had participated in agitations between 2009 and 2014 (till it was achieved).

In 1998, he was awarded the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award, the first parliamentarian from South India to receive the award. Jaipal Reddy was known as an orator and had been a spokesperson for the political parties he represented.