Rising from a humble background, Mopidevi Venkata Ramana Rao, 63, has created history by becoming the first politician from the fishermen community in the State to step into the hallowed portals of the Rajya Sabha.
A native of Nizampatnam village, Mr. Ramana Rao is the Minister for Marketing, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry in the YSRCP government. Even though he suffered defeat at the hands of Anagani Satya Prasad (TDP) from the Repalle Assembly constituency, Mr. Ramana was rewarded for his unflinching loyalty to the YSR family and made a Minister after being nominated to the Legislative Council in June 2019.
His entry into mainstream politics was a surprise, and as a 20-year-old graduate from Andhra Loyola College, Vijayawada, Mr. Ramana Rao found himself standing in direct elections to the Mandal Praja Parishad in 1987. It was former MLC Singam Basavapunnaiah who spotted him and recommended him as a candidate for the Congress in Assembly elections from the Kuchinapudi constituency in 1989. Even though he lost in two successive elections to Epuri Seetharavamma (TDP), Mr. Ramana Rao did not lose hope and won a landslide victory in 2004. In 2007, he was made a Minister for Ports and Infrastructure in the YSR Cabinet.
Thanks Jagan
But soon after the death of YSR in September 2009, Mr. Ramana Rao found himself embroiled in a series of controversies. Named as an co-accused by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Vanpic case, Mr. Ramana Rao was arrested and was lodged in central jail for over a year. Ill-health dogged him and he was frequently hospitalised during his remand.
“I thank Chief Minister Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy for giving me the opportunity and this is certainly the most memorable moment in my political career,” he said.
