Emphasising the need to revive ideology-driven politics over the prevailing âpolitics of management,â Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy called for the promotion of diverse political thought among students in universities. He urged the aspiring politicians to emulate former minister S Jaipal Reddy, who always stood by his principles.Speaking at the ICFAI & Capital Foundation Societyâs S. Jaipal Reddy Memorial Award function held here on Saturday, Mr. Reddy highlighted the latterâs contributions to both State and national politic,s besides his decisive role in the creation of Telangana State.âJaipal Reddy, a towering personality, is the pride of Telangana, next only to former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao in many aspects,â he said, congratulating the award recipient, Mohan Guruswamy, an economist and policy analyst from Hyderabad.Later, he conferred the award on Mr. Guruswamy.Recalling the key role played by the former Union Minister in the creation of Telangana State, Mr. Reddy noted, âDuring his student days, Jaipal Reddy opposed the formation of Telangana. But later, he worked tirelessly for the Stateâs creation. The dream of Telangana would not have been realised without his support and his efforts to convince Sonia Gandhi as well as the Opposition leaders.âThe Chief Minister also recalled the political and administrative reforms initiated by Jaipal Reddy during his tenure as Union Minister. Expressing concern over the ever-increasing role of money in elections, Mr. Reddy called for stringent measures to curb its influence and safeguard democratic values in the country.He lamented that activists have disappeared from politics while volunteers have increased, and urged that the legacy of leaders like P.V. Narasimha Rao and Jaipal Reddy must continue to inspire public life.Referring to Jaipal Reddyâs administrative acumen, he praised the decisions taken by him as Union Petroleum Minister as âimpeccableâ and commended his role as Information and Broadcasting Minister, stating that his initiatives benefited even Opposition parties.Mr. Reddy noted that Jaipal Reddy served the people for five decadesâfrom 1969 to 2019âand recalled his efforts to bring electricity to Kalwakurthy when he was its MLA. He also referred to Reddyâs oratory skills, which earned him the Best Parliamentarian Award.On democratic rights, the Chief Minister said that no MLA had been suspended from the Assembly since he assumed office, and that Dharna Chowk was reinstated immediately after he became Chief Minister.K Purishotham Reddy, executive president of Capital Foundation, and LS Ganesh, Vice-Chancellor of ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education, were among present.Published - July 26, 2025 11:55 pm IST