Quick Facts
Biography
Chandra Rajeshwara Rao (June 6, 1914 – April 9, 1994) is an Indian freedom fighter. He was one of the top leaders of the Telangana Rebellion (1946–1951). He also worked as Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary for 28 years before giving up the job in 1992 for health reasons.
Life
Rao comes from an affluent peasant family. He received medical education at Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi and at a medical college in Vishakha-patnam. He joined the Communist Party of India (CPI) in 1931 and became secretary of the CPI committee of Andhra Province in 1943. Rao was general secretary of the Central Committee of the CPI in 1950 and 1951, vice-chairman of the All-India Kisan Sabha (Peasants’ League) in 1954 and 1955. In December 1964 he was elected general secretary of the National Council of the CPI. He was awarded the Order of Lenin in 1974.
His son, Chandra Chandrasekhar, and grandson, Chandra Jaideep are in Andhra Pradesh politics.