Former Chevella MLA and Managing Director of News & Services Syndicate (NSS) Konda Lakshma Reddy passed away while undergoing treatment for age-related ailments at Apollo Hospital in Hyderabad on Monday (October 13, 2025). He was 84 and breathed his last at 5.30 a.m.

A grandson of former Deputy Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh Konda Venkata Ranga Reddy, Lakshma Reddy had a long association with the Congress party and held several key positions, including Spokesperson and Chairman of the Grievance Cell of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC). He also served as Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Sports Council.

Lakshma Reddy began his political journey with the Congress and remained loyal to the party throughout his career. He contested the Lok Sabha elections from the Hyderabad constituency in 1999 and 2014 but was unsuccessful on both occasions.

He founded the local news agency NSS in 1980, which served as a platform for numerous aspiring journalists. And many of whom went on to establish successful careers in the media. Under his leadership, NSS became a training ground and employment source for hundreds of young journalists, catering to the news requirements of small and medium newspapers across the State.

He also served as President of the Hyderabad Press Club, President of the Journalists’ Cooperative Housing Association, and as a member of the Executive Committee of the United Andhra Pradesh Working Journalists’ Union. Known for his humane approach and guidance, Lakshma Reddy was widely respected for offering practical suggestions and encouragement to budding journalists throughout his career.

Saviour to unemployed journalists

Present day journalists may not know much about Konda Lama Reddy garu or the News Services Syndicate (NSS) and none can blame them either! But for those journalists in print media in circa 80, 90s, Laxma Reddy Saab was a saviour provided by nature. Whenever a journalist lost employment, he or she could fall back upon NSS and its Managing Editor Laxma Reddy Saab. No questions were asked, neither a resume demanded. What is more! A stint with Laxma Reddy Saab came with a mid-day meal at the Fateh Maidan Club at times.

Journalists from that generation remember the yeoman service rendered by Laxma Reddy garu as President of the Journalists Cooperative Housing Society, Hyderabad and the way he helped developing Journalists colonies at Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills. In those days, the Journalists Cooperative Housing Society had no funds and its members were financially poor journalists. In such a situation Laxma Reddy garu with the help of the then senior journalists and office bearers K Sreenivas Reddy Garu, S Nagesh Kumar toiled hard and used their contacts to develop both Journalists A and B Colonies.

Despite being an ex MLA, closely related to both Konda Venkata Sangareddy and Marri Channa Reddy families, being a senior Congress leader, Laxma Reddy garu always worked, behaved and led his life as a true working Journalist. He used to work like a hardcore reporter. In those days, he along with Jamal Saab (PTI, Kalyani Shankar (UNI) used to cover the important secretariat and CM beat and in a lighter vein the journalists nicknamed the trio as JAKAL (Jamal, Kalyani, Laxma Reddy)!

His contribution to the Press Club is also noteworthy and he was always supportive to the cause of journalists. 

He was ajatashatru who had no enemies. On Monday when his mortal remains were kept at his residence in Journalists Colony B Jubilee hills, later at the Mahaprasthanam, all the senior journalists came to pay their last respects. Former MO and Congress leader Dr KVP Ramachandra Rao, BJP MP and Laxma Reddy’s cousin Konda Visveshwar Reddy, BJP leader and MP Etela Rajender, Former Sangareddy ZP Chairman KM Ratnam, Telangana Press Academy Chairman K Sreenivas Reddy, Telangana Union of Working Journalists Leader Narender Reddy, Senior journalists, Bandaru Srinivasa Rao, Jwala Narasimha Rao, S Nagesh Kumar, K Srinivas Reddy and a host of other prominent personalities were present.