Senior Congress leader Sudini Jaipal Reddy has had an illustrious public life since the late 1960s.

Reddy, 67, was president of the Osmania University Students Union in Hyderabad twice and subsequently became a general secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee. He was a member of the state legislative assembly from 1969 to 1984 for four terms representing Kalwakurthy in his native Mahabubnagar district.

Strongly opposing the imposition of national emergency, Reddy quit Congress and joined Janata Party. He contested against Indira Gandhi in Medak Lok Sabha poll in 1980 as common opposition candidate but lost by a huge margin of over two lakh votes.

Reddy got elected to the Lok Sabha in 1984 on Janata Party ticket and has been a member of lower house for four terms. He was also a member of Rajya Sabha on two occasions.

He held the position of leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha for a year from July 1992 to June 1992. Acclaimed for the quality of his debates, Reddy was awarded the "Outstanding Parliamentarian" award in 1998.

During his tenure as Union Cabinet Minister for Information and Broadcasting in 1997-98 in the United Front government, he introduced Prasar Bharati Bill for providing autonomy to Doordarshan and All India Radio.

Again as the Information and Broadcasting Minister, he played a key role in the introduction of new FM radio channels in India and their expansion. Reddy was instrumental in introducing live telecast of Parliament proceedings.

Reddy, who was Urban Development Minister in the UPA government, is also credited with implementation of the Delhi Master Plan and for sanctioning metro rail projects in cities like Hyderabad.