Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy one of the foremost political leaders from Andhra Pradesh, was born on May 19, 1913 in the Anantapur district. He came from a respectable and well-to-do family. He had his early education at Adyar, Madras and then at the Arts College at Anantapur. While still in college he gave up his studies to participate in the freedom struggle launched by Mahatma Gandhi. He first took part in the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1931. Within a few years he came into prominence as an influential peasant leader. He participated in various struggles against the British and was imprisoned several times.
Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy took an active part in the Quit India Movement. In 1946 Sanjeeva Reddy was elected to the Madras Legislative Assembly and later on he became the Secretary of the Congress Legislature Party in Madras. He was also elected to the Constituent Assembly in India.Sanjeeva Reddy held various important positions in the Congress and became a member of the Andhra Provincial Congress Committee. Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy was in the Congress Working Committee and of the Central Parliamentary Board. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1952 and served as a member for a little over a year. When the Andhra Province was separated from Madras and T. Prakasam became the Chief Minister of Andhra, Sanjeeva Reddy was appointed Deputy Chief Minister.
When the new Andhra Pradesh was constituted Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy became its first Chief Minister and served in that capacity from November 1956 to December 1959. In December 1959 he was elected President of the Indian National Congress and he continued in that office till May 1962. He again became the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh in 1962 for one year. Later he was appointed to the Central Cabinet. Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy was speaker of the Lok Sabha from 1967 to 1969.
Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy then contested for the office of the President as the official Congress candidate as against V. V. Giri who was then the Vice-President. The Presidential contest proved to be of momentous significance in the history of the Congress, resulting in the split of the Congress with an overwhelming section siding with Mrs. Indira Gandhi, who had rebelled against the old guard, headed by Mr. Nijalingappa, which came to be known as the Congress (O).
Thus the Congress came to be divided into the Congress (O) and Congress (R) parties. The President election went in favour of Mr. V. V. Giri.The, split in the Congress gradually widened. In the 1971 mid-term election, the Congress (R) had a landslide victory and the Congress (O) was reduced to a party of little significance. After the defeat of the Congress (R) in the Lok Sabha elections of 1977, Sanjeeva Reddy was elected at the instance of the Janata Party as the President of the Republic. In 1981 he retired.