G. M. C. Balayogi

Ganti Mohana Chandra Balayogi (pronunciationⓘ; 1 October 1951 – 3 March 2002)[2] was an Indian lawyer and politician.

Ganti Mohana Chandra Balayogi
Balayogi in New Delhi, India, 2001
12th Speaker of the Lok Sabha
In office
24 March 1998 – 3 March 2002
DeputyP. M. Sayeed
Preceded byPurno Agitok Sangma
Succeeded byManohar Joshi
ConstituencyAmalapuram
Member of the Indian Parliament
for Amalapuram
In office
1991–1996
Preceded byKusuma Krishna Murthy
Succeeded byK. S. R. Murthy
In office
1998–2002
Preceded byK. S. R. Murthy
Succeeded byG.V. Harsha Kumar
Personal details
Born(1951-10-01)1 October 1951
Yedurulanka
Died3 March 2002(2002-03-03) (aged 50)
Kaikalur, Andhra Pradesh, India
Political partyTelugu Desam Party
SpouseVijaya Kumari Ganti[1]
ChildrenGanti Deepthi, Ganti Ramya, Ganti Keerthi, Ganti Harish Madhur

Growing up in a small Village, Balayogi had to travel to G.Vemavaram village for his primary education. He received his Post Graduate in Kakinada and a law degree from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam. He was serving as the speaker of 12th Lok Sabha when he died in a helicopter crash.

Early career

Balayogi began practicing law in 1980 in Kakinada under the guidance of Gopalaswamy Shetty, and in 1985, was selected as a First Class Magistrate. He then resigned from this post and returned to the bar to resume legal practice. In 1986, he took over as the vice-chairman of the Cooperative Town Bank of Kakinada, and in 1987, was elected as the Chairman of the East Godavari Zilla Praja Parishad. He was the First Dalit speaker in Loksabha.[3][4]

Politics

In 1991, Balayogi was elected to the 10th Lok Sabha under the Telugu Desam Party ticket. He lost this seat in the 1996 general elections,[5] but continued political work in his community and was soon elected to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly in a by-election from the Mummidivaram Assembly constituency. Subsequently, he was appointed as the Minister of Higher Education in the Government of Andhra Pradesh.[6]

In 1998, Balayogi was elected into parliament; he became the 12th Speaker of Lok Sabha (24 March 1998) and again for the 13th Lok Sabha (22 October 1999).[7] As the Speaker, he chaired the Business Advisory Committee, Rules Committee, General Purposes Committee and Standing Committee of the Conference of Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies in India, and he presided over the Indian Parliamentary Group, National Group of Inter-Parliamentary Union and India Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. Along with these duties, Balayogi headed many Indian Parliamentary Delegations to foreign countries, while hosting visiting countries as well.[8]

Death

On 3 March 2002, Balayogi died in crash of a Bell 206 helicopter in Kaikalur, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh.[9] The chopper, it began to lose height after returning from Bhimavaram. The rotor hit the crown of one of the many coconut palms in the area at Kovvadalanka village in Mandavalli mandal, 100 km from Vijayawada. The Speaker, his security officer D. Satya Raju and pilot Capt. G.B. Menon were killed on the spot.[10][11] He was aged 50.

Legacy

G.M.C. Balayogi Athletic Stadium was named in his memory.

References
  1. "Landslide win for TDP candidate". The Hindu. 3 June 2002. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  2. India, The Hans (2 October 2020). "Balayogi, a role model for all politicians: TDP leader Ganni Krishna". www.thehansindia.com. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  3. "TDP banks on Balayogi junior to repeat history from Amalapuram Lok Sabha seat - Times of India". The Times of India. TNN. 29 March 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  4. "rediff.com: Leaders who died young". specials.rediff.com. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  5. "rediff.com: Leaders who died young". specials.rediff.com. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  6. "'balayogi Epitome Of Simplicity' | Visakhapatnam News - Times of India". The Times of India. TNN. 3 November 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  7. "Rediff On The NeT: The Election Interview/G M C Balayogi". www.rediff.com. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  8. Lok Sabha Website: Biography
  9. "GMC Balayogi to YSR Reddy: Chopper crashes have killed many VIPs in India". www.business-standard.com. Press Trust of India. 8 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  10. "HT This Day: March 04, 2002 -- Balayogi dies in crash". Hindustan Times. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  11. "Balayogi dies in copter crash | Hyderabad News - Times of India". The Times of India. TNN. 4 March 2002. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
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