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Rich tributes paid to Venkatramana
Tirupati Telugu Desam MLA Mannuru Venkataramana (67), passed away after he underwent a cardiac by-pass surgery in a private hospital at Chennai on Monday. He is survived by his wife Suguna and two daughters. According to sources, he died at about 7.30 am.
Tirupati: Tirupati Telugu Desam MLA Mannuru Venkataramana (67), passed away after he underwent a cardiac by-pass surgery in a private hospital at Chennai on Monday. He is survived by his wife Suguna and two daughters. According to sources, he died at about 7.30 am.
Ramana suffered a stroke in November 15 and was treated in SVIMS before he was admitted to the Chennai hospital. He was discharged, but again got admitted for kidney/heart ailments on December 8.
Cutting across party lines, leaders expressed grief over the death.The TDP activists, including many women, swarmed his house in Nehru Nagar. Party leaders, including Forest Minister Bojjala Gopalakrishna Reddy, former Minister Gali Mudhukrishnama Naidu, Galla Arunakumari, Chittoor MP N Sivaprasad and functionaries condoled the death.
Venkataramana, who started his career humbly as a Congress activist, emerged as a leader with a strong base in Tirupati. He was first elected municipal councilor and rose to become the municipal vice-chairman. Born on March 1, 1947, he was educated here. He acted in drama and 24 films, mostly in comic roles.
He fought unsuccessfully as a Congress candidate for the Assembly in 1999, but became MLA in 2004 and again as TDP candidate in 2014. Ramana mostly remained in the Congress and had a good rapport with State leaders, including former Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy. A month before Reddy quit, he was nominated TUDA chairman, which post he was still holding.
He switched sides and succeeded in getting the TDP ticket, amidst stiff opposition from strong contenders, to become MLA in the May elections. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, along with his Cabinet colleagues Gopalakrishna Reddy and Narayana, laid wreaths on Venkataramana’s body at his house. He spent about 30 minutes with the family members, including Suguna, and two daughters.
Naidu said the MLA’s death was an irreparable loss to the party and also to the town. He recalled Venkataramana’s initiatives in developing the town. A host of TDP leaders, including MLAs, Chittoor Collector Siddharth Jain SP Gopinath Jetti, also paid homage. Naidu, who was visiting Prakasam district, cut short his programmes, after coming to know about the death, to reach Tirupati by helicopter. He drove to Venkataramana’s house. After paying homage, he left by road to Renigunta airport to fly to Hyderabad.
