Unit 3 — Colonial Andhra & Movements
Movement·Unit 3 — Colonial Andhra

Socialists

Congress Socialist Party, Kisan Sabhas and the agrarian left in Andhra (1934–1955).

1934 – 1955Importance 4/54 min readUpdated: 2026-07-01
CSPJP NarayanN. G. RangaKisan SabhaZamindari abolition

One-line Focus

CSP was born inside Congress at Patna (May 1934) and gave Andhra's peasant leaders — Ranga, Prakasam, Kotha Raghuramaiah, Gouthu Latchanna — a national platform for zamindari abolition and linguistic states.

Sri N. G. Ranga — The Peasant Professor

Oxford-trained economist, MP for 60 years (1930–1991, longest ever), founder of AIKS and Swatantra Party. 'Ranga' remains synonymous with Andhra's kisan movement.

Founded

17 May 1934, Patna Conference

Parent body

Indian National Congress (bloc within)

General Secretary

Jayaprakash Narayan

President (1st)

Acharya Narendra Deva

Andhra chief architect

Prof. N. G. Ranga

Break from Congress

March 1948 (Nasik) — becomes Socialist Party

Political

Complete independence — Purna Swaraj

Economic

Nationalisation of banks, mines, key industries

Agrarian

Abolition of zamindari without compensation

Social

Adult franchise, minority rights, caste equality

Labour

Right to organise, minimum wage, 8-hour day

Federal

Redistribution of provinces on linguistic basis

Legislation

Madras Estates (Abolition) Act 1948 — Prakasam's crown achievement

Ideology

Popularised zamindari abolition + linguistic states as one package

Personnel

Trained a cadre — Ranga, Raghuramaiah, Latchanna, Sivaji

Later politics

Feeder pool for Swatantra (1959) and later Telugu Desam (1982)

  1. 1929

    Andhra Provincial Kisan Sabha established (Nidubrolu) by N. G. Ranga

  2. 1933

    Andhra Provincial Ryots' Association formalised

  3. 1934

    CSP founded at Patna; Andhra unit at Vijayawada

  4. 1936

    All-India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) — Lucknow — Sahajanand Saraswati President, Ranga General Secretary

  5. 1937

    Prakasam becomes Revenue Minister of Madras; drafts Zamindari Enquiry Committee

  6. 1938

    Palnadu forest satyagraha; Kotha Raghuramaiah organises Guntur unit

  7. 1939

    AIKS splits — Ranga leads Congress-aligned faction; Sahajanand aligns with CPI

  8. 1942

    Socialists dominate underground Quit India network in Andhra

  9. 1946

    Prakasam becomes first Premier (CM) of Madras Presidency (30 Apr 1946)

  10. 1948

    CSP breaks from Congress at Nasik — becomes Socialist Party

  11. 1948

    Madras Estates (Abolition) Act — zamindari ended in coastal Andhra

  12. 1952

    Socialists win 12 seats in Andhra region of Madras Assembly

  13. 1955

    Praja Socialist Party (PSP) formed after Socialist + KMPP merger

  • 1929

    Andhra Provincial Kisan Sabha (Nidubrolu)

  • 1933

    Andhra Provincial Ryots' Association

  • 17 May 1934

    CSP founded at Patna

  • April 1936

    All-India Kisan Sabha, Lucknow

  • 30 April 1946

    Prakasam becomes Premier of Madras

  • March 1948

    CSP breaks from Congress at Nasik

  • 1948

    Madras Estates (Abolition) Act

  • 1955

    Praja Socialist Party formed

PN

Prof. N. G. Ranga (1900–1995)

Kisan leader, Guntur

AIKS Gen. Secretary 1936; author of 'Revolutionary Peasants' (1949); co-founded Swatantra Party 1959

TP

Tanguturi Prakasam (Andhra Kesari)

Socialist sympathiser

Steered Madras Zamindari Abolition (1948) as Revenue Minister & Premier

KR

Kotha Raghuramaiah

CSP Guntur; trade-union

Later Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs (1962–71)

GL

Gouthu Latchanna

Anti-zamindari campaigner, Srikakulam

Founded Srikakulam Ryots Association

BS

Bulusu Sambamurthy

Salt Satyagraha veteran

Speaker, Madras Legislative Assembly 1937; bridge to Socialists

KV

Kolla Venkaiah

Ryot organiser, Krishna District

Led Munagala Paraganah anti-zamindari struggle 1938

YS

Yalamanchili Sivaji

Youth wing organiser, Vijayawada

VV

V. V. Giri

Trade-union leader (AITUC)

Later President of India (1969)

JN

Jayaprakash Narayan

CSP Gen. Secretary (1934)

AN

Acharya Narendra Deva

First CSP President

NG

N. G. Ranga

Andhra CSP & AIKS Gen. Sec.

TP

T. Prakasam

Zamindari abolition architect

KR

Kotha Raghuramaiah

CSP Guntur, later Union Minister

GL

Gouthu Latchanna

Srikakulam anti-zamindari

1934 — CSP founded

Inside Congress at Patna; JP Narayan Gen. Sec.

1939 — AIKS split

Ranga-led group vs. Sahajanand–CPI group

1942 — Quit India underground

Socialists run parallel govt in Talcher, Satara, back Andhra sabotage cells

1948 — Nasik Convention

CSP quits Congress → Socialist Party of India

1952 — First General Election

Socialists + KMPP contest separately; poor showing

1955 — PSP formation

Socialist Party + Kripalani's KMPP merge into PSP

1959 — Swatantra split

N. G. Ranga leaves to co-found Swatantra Party with Rajaji

The collapse of the Civil Disobedience Movement (1934) and disillusionment with Gandhian moderation pushed a young generation — Jayaprakash Narayan, Acharya Narendra Deva, Achyut Patwardhan, Ram Manohar Lohia, Ashok Mehta — to form the Congress Socialist Party as an ideological bloc inside the INC.

In Andhra, the ground was already prepared by Prof. N. G. Ranga's Andhra Provincial Ryots' Association (1933) and the depression-era misery of Krishna–Guntur ryots. The Great Depression (1929–33) had halved paddy prices, ruined tenants, and made the abolition of zamindari a mass demand — exactly the CSP's programme.

YearStruggleLocationResult
1933Nidubrolu Ryots RallyGunturFormation of Andhra Provincial Ryots Assn
1938Munagala Paraganah SatyagrahaKrishna (Nizam enclave)Rent-remission granted
1938Palnadu Forest SatyagrahaGunturRestoration of grazing rights
1939–40Venkatagiri estate agitationNelloreFair-rent enquiry ordered
1946Kalipatnam anti-evictionKrishnaCultivators retained possession
1948Post-abolition transitionCoastal AndhraZamindari abolished under Madras Act 26 of 1948

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Don't confuse
Socialists (CSP)
Communists (CPI)

CSP was a bloc INSIDE Congress (1934–48). CPI was an independent party from 1925 and worked outside Congress.

Don't confuse
AIKS 1936
Andhra Provincial Kisan Sabha 1929

AIKS is the All-India body (Lucknow, Sahajanand). The Andhra body preceded it and was Ranga's regional platform.

Don't confuse
Socialist Party 1948
PSP 1955

1948 = CSP renamed Socialist Party after leaving Congress. 1955 = Socialist Party + KMPP merge to form PSP.

PRK-GL

Prakasam · Ranga · Kotha · Gouthu · Latchanna — the five Andhra socialist pillars.

60-Second Revision
  • CSP founded 17 May 1934, Patna — JP Narayan Gen. Sec., Narendra Deva President.
  • Andhra trio: Ranga · Prakasam · Kotha Raghuramaiah.
  • AIKS founded April 1936, Lucknow — Sahajanand President, Ranga Gen. Sec.
  • CSP quit Congress at Nasik, March 1948 → Socialist Party.
  • Madras Estates Abolition Act 1948 — Andhra socialists' biggest legislative victory.
  • PSP formed 1955 (Socialist Party + KMPP).

  • CSP founding year, place, leaders

    MCQ

  • AIKS 1936 — President & Gen. Sec.

    MCQ

  • Madras Estates Abolition Act year

    MCQ

  • CSP → Socialist Party → PSP sequence

    MCQ

  • N. G. Ranga's twin roles: AIKS + Swatantra

    Mains

Communists

Kisan Movement

National Movement

Prominent Leaders