Summary of this article
Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nadendla Bhaskar Rao passed away at 90 in a Hyderabad hospital due to age-related ailments.
He is best known for orchestrating a political coup against TDP founder NTR in 1984, briefly replacing him as CM for just 31 days.
He later returned to Congress, served as an MP, and is survived by his son, current Andhra Minister Nadendla Manohar.
Nadendla Bhaskar Rao, the former Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh who famously staged a political coup against Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder N. T. Rama Rao (NTR), passed away on Wednesday morning at a private hospital in Hyderabad. He was 90 .
Bhaskar Rao died at Continental Hospitals, where he had been undergoing treatment for age-related health issues over the past month.
Bhaskar Rao remains a pivotal and controversial figure in South Indian politics due to the events of August 1984, often referred to as the "August Coup" or "August Crisis".
At the time, he was serving as a trusted Finance Minister in NTR's cabinet. When NTR traveled to the United States for heart surgery, Bhaskar Rao, with the alleged support of the Congress party, claimed the support of a majority of legislators. He was sworn in as Chief Minister on August 16, 1984, effectively staging a coup against his party chief.
The coup triggered massive political turmoil. NTR returned from the US, launched a statewide "Dharma Yuddham" (war for justice) and a "Save Democracy" movement. Within 31 days, the central government intervened, the governor was recalled, and NTR was reinstated as Chief Minister on September 16, 1984.
Born in Guntur on June 23, 1935, Bhaskar Rao was a lawyer by profession . He began his political career with the Indian National Congress, winning the Vijayawada East constituency in 1978 . He was a key figure in the founding of the TDP in 1982.
Following the coup and his short 31-day tenure as Chief Minister—one of the shortest in the state’s history—he rejoined the Congress. He was later elected to the Lok Sabha from the Khammam constituency in 1998 . In 2019, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of then-party president Amit Shah.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed their condolences, recalling Bhaskar Rao's long public life as an MLA, Minister, and Member of Parliament .
Bhaskar Rao is survived by his son, Nadendla Manohar, who is currently a Minister in the Andhra Pradesh government and a key leader of the Jana Sena Party .
His last rites are scheduled to be held on Thursday, April 23, at 4:00 PM at the Hindu crematorium in Punjagutta, Hyderabad .
