Mr. Venkatswamy was first elected to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly in 1952 from Chennur segment in Adilabad district. He was MLC from 1978 -1984 during which term he became Minister for Labour and Civil Supplies. He was thrice MP from Siddipet in 1967, 1971 and 1977. In the Cabinet of Indira Gandhi, he was Union Deputy Minister for Labour and Rehabilitation in 1973, and Union Deputy Minister for Supply and Rehabilitation from November 1973 to March 1977. After his election to Lok Sabha in 1977, he resigned his membership of Parliament and returned to State politics to become Labour and Civil Supplies Minister in the Cabinet of Chenna Reddy and his successors.
He shifted his Lok Sabha constituency to Peddapalli in 1989 and wrested the seat in 1989, 1991, 1996 and 2004 general elections. He lost the election in 1998 and was denied ticket in 2009. After P.V. Narasimha Rao became Prime Minister in 1991, he was inducted in his Cabinet as Union Minister of State for Rural Development till 1993. He was Minister of State for Textiles in 1993-95 and promoted to Cabinet rank in the same portfolio in 1995. He was president of APCC from 1982-84 when the Congress lost power. His son G. Vinod is a former Labour Minister and former president of Hyderabad Cricket Association. Another son Vivekanand was elected Peddapalli MP on Congress ticket in 2009.
