Who was M. Ananthasayanam Ayyangar?

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla paid floral tributes to former Lok Sabha Speaker M. Ananthasayanam Ayyangar in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan on his birth anniversary on February 4.

A freedom fighter and eminent parliamentarian

• Madabhooshi Ananthasayanam Ayyangar was born at Tiruchanur near Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh on February 4, 1891.

• He earned a degree in law from the Madras Law College in 1913.

• Responding to Gandhiji’s call for ‘non-cooperation’ with the British establishment, Ayyangar suspended his legal practice for one year during 1921-22.

• When the Congress decided to contest the elections for the Central Legislative Assembly in 1934, Ayyangar was elected to the House with an overwhelming majority.

• Between 1940 and 1944 Ayyangar was imprisoned for nearly three years, first for taking part in the ‘Individual Satyagraha Campaign’ and later in the ‘Quit India Movement’ of 1942.

• During 1946-47, he was the secretary of the Congress party in Parliament.

• He was a member of the Central Legislative Assembly, Constituent Assembly, and Provisional Parliament and First to Third Lok Sabhas. 

• When the First Lok Sabha was constituted in 1952, Ayyangar was the unanimous choice to be its Deputy Speaker, having earlier served as the Deputy Speaker of the Constituent Assembly (Legislative) and Deputy Speaker of the Provisional Parliament. 

• When an Estimates Committee was constituted for the first time by the Provisional Parliament in 1950, Ayyangar was the choice to be its chairman.

• After the sudden demise of the then Speaker G.V. Mavalankar, Ayyangar  was unanimously elected to preside over the Lok Sabha on March 8, 1956. 

• Ayyangar was, once again, unanimously elected the Speaker of the Second Lok Sabha in 1957. 

• He was elected to the Lok Sabha for the third time in the General Elections of 1962. However, he resigned his membership soon to serve as the Governor of Bihar.

• He passed away on March 19, 1978 at the age of 87.