Kodela ends life

Hyderabad: The tragic death of Kodela Siva Prasada Rao, the first speaker of the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh has left a deep void in the political arena of the state and pushed the Telugu Desam Party into a crisis.

The 72-year-old leader was reportedly upset over the number of cases registered against him and his family members over different issues which reportedly led to committing suicide at his house. Police said Kodela did not leave any suicide note.

According to preliminary post-mortem report conducted by a three-member team of doctors from Osmania Hospital which lasted for one hour forty minutes, an eight-inch deep marks of rope on his neck region were found.

According to doctors of Basavatarakam Cancer Hospital, he was brought to hospital at 11.35 am and when they examined him no pulse was found.

Still they tried their best for resuscitation, but he did not respond.

He is survived by his wife and two children, Siva Ramakrishna and Poonati Vijayalakshmi. The former speaker was more recently booked by the AP police for shifting furniture from the assembly to his home in Guntur.

The grieving Vijayalakshmi told media that her father had committed suicide due to harassment by YSRCP who had foisted false cases. "My father suffered hell during last three months.

Though there were no differences in the family, all kinds of allegations were levelled against us and several cases were booked against all the family members. For us he is God. At least now please speak truth, respect his age and stop defaming him and leave us alone," she said with folded hands.

Rao, better known as Kodela, rose from a humble background. He was one of the senior-most leaders of the party and was called as "Doctor Garu" by his followers and party leaders.

He has been an undisputed leader ever since he entered politics in 1983 following a call given by founder president of TDP NT Rama Rao. After storming to victory in 1983, Kodela had won five elections and held major portfolios like Home, Panchayat Raj, Health and Major Irrigation. He had his own share of controversies when he was given the Home portfolio by NTR.

The Congress accused him of playing a role in the murder of Vangaveeti Mohan Ranga. In the year 1999, a bomb blast in the residence of Dr Rao killed four of his close aides. A CBI inquiry was ordered but he came out unscathed. Rao, who had represented Narsaraopet constituency, shifted to Sattenapalli in 2014 and won by a slender margin.

Born in agricultural family at Kandlakunta village near Narsaraopet on May 2, 1947, he completed his schooling at Narsaraopet and PUC from Andhra Loyola College, Vijayawada. He did his MBBS from Guntur Medical College and later pursued MS in Surgery from Varanasi. After completing his studies, he set up a hospital at Narsaraopet and soon gained popularity as a successful surgeon.

After winning the elections in 1983, Kodela attainted iconic image in the faction ridden Palnadu region and took on the powerful Reddy community. His nearest political rival was Kasu Krishna Reddy and almost all the successive elections were marred by incidents of violence and booth capturing.

His residence soon became the power centre in the district and he has been responsible for the emergence of leaders like Alapati Rajendra Prasad, Yerapathaneni Srinivasa Rao and Pathuri Nagabhushanam.

Ever since he lost the last elections, Rao was never the same again. He faced ignominy of being named in several cases of cheating which drove into great depression.