Hyderabad: A senior political figure of Rayalaseema region in Andhra Pradesh and ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA Bhuma Nagi Reddy died after a sudden heart attack on Sunday morning. He suffered the cardiac arrest at his residence in Allagadda this morning while reading a newspaper.
Fifty-three-year-old Reddy was rushed by his family to a nearby private hospital where the doctors tried to save his life through CPR and moved him to Nandyal where he died.
Bhuma made national headlines in 1996 when TDP had chosen him to contest against the then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao in Lok Sabha by election which he lost by a huge margin.
The news of his death left the Kurnool district stunned and shops and commercial establishments brought down their shutters in Allagadda, Nandyal and other places.
Reddy had heart troubles; he had undergone a bypass surgery a few years ago. He had suffered another heart attack only a week ago and was admitted to a hospital in Hyderabad.
After recovering, he had gone to Vijayawada where he met the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu yesterday and reached home last night.
His wife, Shobha Nagi Reddy,, died on April 23, 2014, in a road accident during the election campaign for her party, YSR Congress. She was elected to the state assembly from Allagadda constituency after her death. Later, her elder daughter, Akhila Priya, was elected from the same constituency.
Thousands of people have gathered at his residence in Allgadda to have a last glimpse of the departed leader. He will be cremated in Allgadda on Monday.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Telugu Desam Party general secretary Nara Lokesh expressed their shock over Reddy’s sudden death.
Reddy who was once a very powerful faction leader of Kurnool district, was elected to the state assembly from Nandyal on a YSR Congress Party ticket but later joined the ruling TDP. He had started his political career with TDP in late 1980s and was elected to the state assembly from Allagadda constituency in a by-election in 1992 after the death of his elder brother who is also the sitting MLA. He was also elected thrice to Lok Sabha from Nandyal constituency. But in July 2008 he along with his wife joined Praja Rajyam Party (PRP), led by film star Chiranjeevi. While he lost the 2009 Lok Sabha election from Nandyal, Shobha was elected to the state assembly on a PRP ticket. After Chiranjeevi decided to merge PRP in Congress, he joined the YSRCP and occupied key position. But following the 2014 elections he came back to the fold of his original party the TDP.
He figured prominently in the bloody faction politics in Kurnool district and had a running feud with Gangula family which was traditionally part of the Congress party. The feud left many people dead on both the sides.
