Ponnala Lakshmaiah
{{Short description|Indian politician}}
{{family name hatnote|Ponnala|lang=Telugu}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Ponnala Lakshmaiah
| image = Ponnala Lakshmaiah.jpg
| caption =
| office = 1st President of the
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee
| term_start = 11 March 2014
| term_end = 2 March 2015
| 1blankname = AICC President
| 1namedata = Sonia Gandhi
| predecessor = Office Established
| successor = N. Uttam Kumar Reddy
| office1 = Minister of Major Irrigation, IT & Communications
Government of Andhra Pradesh
| governor1 = N. D. Tiwari
E. S. L. Narasimhan
| 1blankname1 = Chief Minister
| 1namedata1 = Konijeti Rosaiah
N. Kiran Kumar Reddy
| term_start1 = 2009
| term_end1 = 2014
| successor1 = Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao
Palle Raghunatha Reddy
| office2 = Member of Legislative Assembly
Andhra Pradesh
| term_start2 = 1999
| term_end2 = 2014
| predecessor2 = Charagonda Raji Reddy
| successor2 = Telangana Assembly Created
| constituency2 = Jangaon
| term_start3 = 1985
| term_end3 = 1989
| predecessor3 = Asireddy Narsimha Reddy
| successor3 = Charagonda Raji Reddy
| constituency3 = Jangaon
| birth_name = Ponnala Lakshmaiah
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1944|2|15|df=y}}
| birth_place = Quilashahpur, Hyderabad State, British India
(now Telangana, India)[http://helloap.com/profile-of-ponnala-lakshmaiah-jangaon/ "Profile of Ponnala Lakshmaiah - Jangaon"]. hello ap. 2011-02-03.
| residence =
| nationality = {{flag|India}}
| spouse = Ponnala Arunadevi
| children =
| party = Bharat Rashtra Samithi (2023 - present)
| website =
| otherparty = Indian National Congress
(1980 - 2023)
}}
Ponnala Lakshmaiah (born 15 February 1944) is an Indian politician. He is a member of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). He is a former minister for Information Technology and Communications for the state of Andhra Pradesh, India.{{Cite news|title=Ponnala abandons visit to Babli site |url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/04/06/stories/2007040614240100.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106034035/http://www.hindu.com/2007/04/06/stories/2007040614240100.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 November 2012 |work=The Hindu |date=6 April 2007 |accessdate=30 April 2010 }} He was also a member of the legislative assembly of Andhra Pradesh, and a member of the All India Congress Committee.[http://www.aponline.gov.in/apportal/contact/listofcontacts.asp?id=01 "Council of Ministers"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131008000758/http://www.aponline.gov.in/apportal/contact/listofcontacts.asp?id=01 |date=8 October 2013 }}. APOnline.
Early life
Ponnala Lakshmaiah was born in the village of Quilashahpur, located in the heart of the Telangana region, into the Telugu-speaking Hindu family of Ponnala Radha (Radhamma) and Ponnala Rama Kishtaiah. He is married to Ponnala Arunadevi and has two children. He earned his M. S. Mechanical Engineering degree from Oklahoma State University in 1969.[http://www.indiapost.com/andhra-minister-visits-oklahoma-state-university/ Andhra minister visits Oklahoma State University | IndiaPost][http://www.ponnala.com/statehall.htm Ponnala Lakshmaiah]
Having come in contact with the World Bank and its programs for developing countries, he was attracted by rural development projects in India. He returned to India and worked to generate rural employment in the region of his birthplace. With his first project, he made improvements in areas such as poultry breeding, helping employ thousands of uneducated people. He also promoted the development of the dairy industry.[https://web.archive.org/web/20130328131335/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-03-25/hyderabad/38009201_1_tower-first-phase-ponnala-lakshmaiah "IT incubation tower flagged off in Warangal"]. Times of India. 2013-03-25.
Political career
In 1980, Ponnala began working with the Congress Party. In the 1992 Congress Plenary session at Tirupati, he successfully handled the foreign delegates, including prime ministers of neighboring countries.
In 1986, he launched a protest under the name "Samagra Pochampad Karyacharana Samithi" and worked with District Leaders to modify the irrigation scheme to benefit the chronically drought-prone area. Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao laid the foundation on 30 June 1993. The project was under execution in "Jalayagnam" at a cost of Rs. 30 billion.[http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/it-growth-unaffected-by-protests-ponnala/article5129738.ece "IT growth unaffected by protests: Ponnala"]. The Hindu. 2013-09-15.
He served four terms in the Assembly from the Jangaon Constituency in Warangal District.
On 11 March 2014, he was named president of the newly created Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC).
On 13 October 2023, he submitted his resignation to the Indian National Congress(INC).{{Cite web |last=Mitra |first=Anwesha |date=2023-10-13 |title=In major setback, Ponnala Lakshmaiah quits Congress ahead of Telangana polls |url=https://www.livemint.com/politics/news/in-major-setback-ponnala-lakshmaiah-quits-congress-ahead-of-telangana-assembly-election-11697188732173.html |access-date=2023-10-23 |website=mint |language=en}}
On 16 October 2023, he joined Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).{{Cite news |last=Bureau |first=The Hindu |date=2023-10-16 |title=Ponnala Lakshmaiah joins BRS in Jangaon, says insult by Congress leadership led to his decision |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/ponnala-lakshmaiah-joins-brs-in-jangaon-says-insult-by-congress-leadership-led-to-his-decision/article67427005.ece |access-date=2023-10-23 |issn=0971-751X}}
Ponnala Foundation
Ponnala Lakshmaiah said that the Ponnala Foundation started by him would give away awards to mathematics genius every year in memory of the Indian math genius Srinivasa Ramanujan, in order to promote the subject among children.[http://www.telanganastateinfo.com/ponnala-foundation-give-mathematics-genius-award/ "Ponnala Foundation Mathematics Genius Award"]. TSI. 2016-04-11.
Awards
- Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Alumnus – Oklahoma State University (School of business) – Hall of Fame
References
{{Reflist}}
{{First Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy ministry}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lakshmaiah, Ponnala}}
Category:State cabinet ministers of Andhra Pradesh
Category:People from Hanamkonda district
Category:Andhra Pradesh MLAs 1985–1989
Category:Oklahoma State University alumni
Category:Andhra Pradesh MLAs 1999–2004
Category:Andhra Pradesh MLAs 2004–2009
Category:Andhra Pradesh MLAs 2009–2014
Category:Presidents of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee
Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Telangana