Penumatsa Sambasiva Raju

Penumatsa Sambasiva Raju (1933 – 10 August 2020) was an Indian politician from Andhra Pradesh. He was an eight-time member of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly and a former minister in the undivided Andhra Pradesh. He was the only MLA who won eight time in the united Andhra Pradesh.

Early life and education Raju hails from Mayida Vijayarampuram village in Nellimarla mandal, Vizianagaram district. He began his political career as a Panchayat Samithi president in 1958. He was elected as an MLA for the first time in 1967 as an independent candidate from Gajapathinagaram Constituency. Again he was the MLA from Gajapathinagaram Constituency in 1972 representing Indian National Congress. In the 1978 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly Election he shifted to Sathivada constituency and won on Congress ticket. He retained the Sathivada seat for the Congress in 1983 and 1989 elections. Sathivada is now the Nellimarla constituency. He lost the election in 1994. He was considered as a guide and mentor for many political leaders including Botsa Satyanarayana and Kolagatla Veerabhadra Swamy. His grandson Krishnudu is an actor.