Jetti Geeta Reddy (born 1947) is an Indian gynecologist and politician of the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...

. She served as member of the

Telangana Legislative Assembly The Telangana Legislative Assembly or Telangana Śāsana Sabha is the lower house of the Telangana Legislature. The Legislative Assembly of Telangana currently consists of 119 elected members and 1 nominated member from the Anglo-Indian communi ...

representing the Zahirabad constituency of

Sangareddy district Sangareddy district, is a List of districts of Telangana, district in the Indian state of Telangana. This district contains a part of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Region. The district shares boundaries with Medak district, Medak, Medchal–Malkaj ...

from 2014 to 2018. She is the working president of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee since July 2021. Reddy has been a minister in the cabinets of various governments. She was also leader of the INC in the legislative assembly during the government of

Konijeti Rosaiah Konijeti Rosaiah (4 July 1933 – 4 December 2021) was an Indian politician who served as the List of chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, 15th chief minister of United Andhra Pradesh from 2009 to 2010. He also served as the Governor of Karnataka ...

Early life

Geeta Reddy is the daughter of

Eshwari Bai Jetti Eshwari Bai (1 December 1918 – 25 February 1991) was an Indian politician, a Member of the Legislative Assembly and president of the Republican Party of India. She worked for the upliftment of the backward classes who were subjected to sl ...

, a former

Member of the Legislative Assembly A member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to a legislative assembly. Most often, the term refers to a subnational assembly such as that of a state, province, or territory of a country. S ...

(MLA) and President of the

Republican Party of India The Republican Party of India (RPI, often called the Republican Party or simply Republican) is a political party in India. It has its roots in the Scheduled Castes Federation led by B. R. Ambedkar. The 'Training School for Entrance to Polit ...

. She studied medicine at

Osmania Medical College Osmania Medical College, formerly known as ''The Hyderabad Medical School'', is a medical college in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It was founded in 1846 by the 5th Nizam of Hyderabad and Berar, Afzal ud Dowla, Asaf Jah 5. The college was orig ...

, Hyderabad and became a Member of the

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) is a professional association based in London, United Kingdom. Its members, including people with and without medical degrees, work in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology, that is ...

, London in 1989.

Career

Reddy worked as a gynaecologist. She lived in Australia from 1971 to 1977, in London from 1977 to 1980 and in Saudi Arabia from 1980 to 1982. She then returned to India.

Political career

Reddy and her husband, Ramachandra Reddy, established a medical practice in Saudi Arabia. In 1985, upon the request of Rajiv Gandhi, the couple returned to India so that Geeta could work on behalf of the Indian National Congress party. She contested elections for the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly in

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...

and became MLA for

Gajwel Gajwel, officially Gajwel–Pragnapur, is a town and a municipality in Siddipet district of the Indian state of Telangana. Gajwel–Pragnapur Nagar Panchayat was constituted in 2012. The jurisdiction of the civic body is spread over an area of . ...

in Medak district. She won that constituency again in

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

. In the

2009 elections The following elections occurred in the year 2009. * Electoral calendar 2009 * 2009 United Nations Security Council election Caribbean * 2009 Antiguan general election * 2009 Aruban general election * 2009 Caymanian constitutional referendu ...

, Reddy was parachuted into the Zahirabad constituency, which had elected INC candidates in every election bar one since 1957. Converted to a seat reserved for candidates from the

Scheduled Caste The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...

s, the constituency had been held for a decade by the INC's Mohammed Fareeduddin, who commanded much local respect but was forced by this decision to contest the election elsewhere and lost. She won the seat and did so again in

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

, despite allegations that Fareeduddin had been encouraging his local supporters to vote for any party except the INC. On this occasion, the election was for a seat in the newly created Telangana Legislative Assembly that was created as part of the

bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh The Telangana movement refers to a movement for the creation of a separate state, Telangana, from the pre-existing state of Andhra Pradesh in India. The new state corresponds to the Telugu-speaking portions of the erstwhile princely state of H ...

. Reddy was a minister in the cabinets of

Marri Chenna Reddy Dr. Marri Channa Reddy (13 January 1919 – 2 December 1996) was an Indian politician active in several states. He was the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh from 1978 to 1980 and from 1989 to 1990. He also served as the governor of Uttar Pradesh ...

Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy (16 August 1920 – 27 September 2001) served as the chief minister of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh in 1983 and then from 1992 to 1994. Reddy was a member of the Indian National Congress and was elected t ...

and

Y. S. Rajasekhar Reddy Yeduguri Sandinti Rajasekhara Reddy (8 July 1949 – 2 September 2009), popularly known as YSR, was the List of chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, 14th chief minister of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, serving from 2004 to 2009. Reddy wa ...

. She was INC leader in the legislative assembly during the Rosaiah government.

Member of Legislative Assembly

Portfolios held

* 1989–1994: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Social Welfare, Sports, Secondary Education and Protocol. * 1995–1998: General Secretary, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) * 1998–2000: Executive Member of PCC * 2000–2004: President, Andhra Pradesh Mahila Congress Committee. * 2004–2009: Minister for Tourism, Sugar and Major Industries commerce and Export promotion. * 2009–2010: Minister for Information and Public relations, Tourism, Culture, FDC, Archaeology, Museums & Archives, Cinematography. * 2010–2014: Minister for Major Industries, Sugar, Commerce and Export promotion Reddy was also for some time around 2013 in charge of the Home department in the Andhra Pradesh government whilst also holding the Major Industries portfolio. In the same year, the

Telugu Desam Party The Telugu Desam Party (; TDP) is an Indian regional political party operating in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana at the state and central level. Since its founding by N. T. Rama Rao (often referred to as NTR) on 29 March 1982, the party has foc ...

had demanded that she be dismissed as a minister due to her being one of the co-accused named by the

Central Bureau of Investigation The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is the premier investigating agency of India. It operates under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. Originally set up to investigate bribery and governmen ...

in its work on a case relating to alleged illegal assets held by

Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy Yeduguri Sandinti Jagan Mohan Reddy (born 21 December 1972) also known as Y. S. Jagan or mononymously Jagan, is an Indian entrepreneur and politician serving as the 17th and current chief minister of Andhra Pradesh since 30 May 2019. He is the ...

. The matter was dropped, with one of her co-accused, Mopidevi Venkataramana Rao, claiming that the

Chief Minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...

, Kiran Kumar Reddy, had intervened. In April 2016, Reddy was appointed chairman of the Telangana Legislative Assembly's Public Accounts Committee.

Personal life

J. Geeta Reddy is married to Dr. Ramachandra Reddy. Her husband owns Geetha Multi Speciality Hospital Secunderabad, Eashwari Bai Memorial Center Hospital, Eashwari Bai School Of Nursing and Eashwari Bai College Of Nursing. She has a daughter. Around 1980, after Reddy's husband had suffered a stroke and was not responding well to

conventional medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, and Health promotion ...

, the couple visited

Sathya Sai Baba Sathya Sai Baba (born Ratnakaram Sathyanarayana Raju; 23 November 192624 April 2011) was an Indian guru. At the age of fourteen he claimed that he was the reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba, and left his home to serve his devotees. Sai Baba's b ...

. She has expressed admiration for him, noting that her husband's health began to improve soon after the meeting, and has been described as a devotee.

Sports

* President of Andhra Pradesh Women's Cricket Association

Social service

* Vice President Indian Red Cross Society, Andhra Pradesh *Branch, Life Trustee, Indian Council of Child Welfare * Chairperson, Eashwari Bai Memorial Trust. * Former member of Central Social Welfare Board. * Former Senate member of Osmania University.

Awards

* Mahila Shiromani * Unity award for National Integration Forum * 2008: Indira Gandhi Sadbhavana Award * 2008: Millennium Star Award * 2014:

ALL Ladies League ALL Ladies League (ALL) is an international women’s chamber for the welfare and empowering women’s leadership. The organization was founded in 2015 by Harbeen Arora. Activities ALL confers Awards. Distinguished people who have received the ...

, Hyderabad Women of the Decade Achievers Award for Excellence in Public Administration

References

Notes Citations {{DEFAULTSORT:Reddy, J. Geeta Indian National Congress politicians from Telangana Politicians from Hyderabad, India Women in Telangana politics People from Medak Living people 1947 births Andhra Pradesh MLAs 1989–1994 Andhra Pradesh MLAs 2004–2009 Andhra Pradesh MLAs 2009–2014 Telangana MLAs 2014–2018 Osmania University alumni 21st-century Indian medical doctors Indian women gynaecologists 20th-century Indian women politicians 21st-century Indian women politicians Dalit women Dalit politicians Medical doctors from Hyderabad, India 20th-century Indian women physicians 21st-century women physicians