K. E. Krishnamurthy

Kambalapadu Ediga Krishna Murthy (born 2 October 1938), popularly known as K. E. Krishna Murthy, is an Indian politician from Andhra Pradesh. He served as Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh from 2014-2019 and as an Irrigation minister in N. T. Rama Rao cabinet from 1985-1987. Also he worked in the cabinet of Tanguturi Anjaiah.

Murthy was elected to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly five times from Dhone constituency, one time from Pattikonda constituency and to the Lok Sabha for one term from Kurnool constituency.

Early life and education Krishna Murthy was born in Kambalapadu, Kurnool district. His father K. E. Madanna is a freedom fighter. His mother's name is K. E. Madamma. His son K. E. Shyam Babu won the 2024 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly election from Pattikonda Assembly constituency representing Telugu Desam Party. He has two younger brothers K. E. Prabhakar and K. E. Prathap. He pursued M.A. from Sri Venkateswara University and L.L.B. from Sagar University, Madhya Pradesh. He is considered as a popular OBC Goud community leader of Andhra Pradesh.

Career Following the footsteps of his father, who was the former MLA and MLC, Murthy entered politics after his father retired in 1978. He was elected as an MLA for the first time in 1978 from Dhone Assembly Constituency representing Indian National Congress. He got elected for a second term from the same constituency in 1983 again on Indian National Congress Party ticket.

He later resigned from Indian National Congress (INC) party and joined the Telugu Desam Party and won a third term as MLA from the same Dhone constituency in 1985 defeating Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy.

Later, he had differences with former Chief Minister N. T. Rama Rao, and rejoined INC. He won as MLA for the fourth time from Dhone in 1989.

He worked as a minister in both the cabinets of former chief ministers, Tanguturi Anjaiah of INC and N. T. Rama Rao of TDP.

In 1998, he once again resigned from INC and shifted to TDP under the leadership of chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu and lost the Kurnool Lok Sabha Constituency by a small margin to Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy. However, he entered the Parliament of India in 1999 representing TDP from Kurnool, defeating Reddy this time.

In 2009, he won the Dhone Assembly Constituency for the fifth time representing Telugu Desam Party. In 2013, he was appointed to AP Public Accounts Committee. Later in 2014, he shifted to Pattikonda Assembly Constituency and won as MLA for the sixth time in the 2014 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly Election. He became the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and also held the Revenue, Stamps & Registration ministry.