Appointment of Chennamneni Vidyasagar Rao as the Governor of Maharashtra has brought cheers to his supporters in Karimnagar district. Celebrations broke out in the town and the BJP workers burst crackers and distributed sweets as the news of his appointment spread.
BJP workers and supporters of Rao gathered at Telangana Chowk in Karimnagar and raised slogans in his support. later in the day Rao visited the Telangana BJP headquarters in Hyderabad where other party leaders felicitated him. State BJP president G Kishan Reddy and other leaders offered him a shawl and bouquet. Speaking on the occasion Vidyasagar said that he would work within the constitutional framework and discharge his responsibilities accordingly.
Vidyasagar Rao, who had earlier represented Karimnagar in the lok Sabha and also served as the Minister of State for Home in the Atal Bihari Vajpaee-led NDA Government, hails from a prominent political family in the district. His elder brother Ch Rajeshwar Rao was earlier a leading figure in the communist movement and serves as MlA of CPI before he joined the Telugu Desam Party.
Born on February 12, 1942 in Nagaram village of Karimnagar district, Vidyasagar Rao was associated with the Sangh Parivar from his youth and in 1972 he became district convenor of Jana Sangh. For Vidyasagar Rao becoming the Governor of Maharashtra is of quiet significance as he had spent some time as student in the State. He had gone to Nanded to study medicine but later changed his mind to study law in Osamania University in Hyderabad and became a professional lawyer.
Rao, who was imprisoned during the Emergency, had unsuccessfully contested from Karimnagar lok Sabha constituency in 1980 on Janata Party ticket. In 1985, he was elected to the State Assembly as a BJP candidate in alliance with the TDP. He was re-elected in 1989 and 1994 to Assembly and 1998 and 1999 to the lok Sabha from Karimnagar. However, in subsequent elections to the lok Sabha and Assembly he tasted defeat.