Political Life
He was member of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly for 35 years from Sompeta constituency between 1948–83 and once member of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council. Latchanna had won both the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections from Srikakulam district in 1967. But he resigned his Lok Sabha membership to facilitate the election of his political mentor late N.G. Ranga. He was first elected to Assembly in 1948 from Visakhapatnam on labour ticket and served as Minister for Agriculture and Labour. He left Congress party in 1951 and was arrested during emergency in 1975 imposed by then prime minister Smt. Indira Gandhi. He later joined Lok Dal party and then to Janata Dal party under the leadership of former prime ministers Charan Singh and Vishwanath Pratap Singh respectively.
He initially got elected as president of then Ganjam district Congress Committee. He became member of Andhra Rashtra Congress Committee and All India Congress Committee from 1934 to 1951. From 1946 to 1951, he was elected as joint secretary of Andhra Rashtra Congress Committee. As secretary of Andhra Congress Sevadal, he conducted Congress Sevadal Officer's Training Camp for both men and women at Palasa in Srikakulam.
During 1946 Madras assembly elections, he was denied congress ticket against the wishes of congress workers on the pretext of being violent when underground. Instead, Latchanna made Rokkam Rammurthy Naidu get the nomination and played a decisive role in getting him elected. When Latchanna was in Rangoon, Babu Rajendra Prasad sent a telegram to Latchanna to file nomination for Visakhapatnam by-election from Indian National Congress in 1948. He was elected to Madras assembly defeating both communist and socialist candidates.
In 1951, he along with Tanguturi Prakasam and N.G. Ranga resigned Congress and organised Hyderabad State Praja Party which was further split into Krishikar Lok Party for peasants with N.G. Ranga as the president and Latchanna as the secretary. In 1952 first General elections of independent India, Latchanna got elected to Madras assembly along with 11 more members in the composite Visakhapatnam district on Krishikar Lok Party ticket by defeating congress candidate. He then became, the leader of Krishikar Lok Party in Madras assembly.
Read more about this topic: Gouthu Latchanna
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