Former AP Assembly speaker Kodela Siva Prasada Rao passes away

Former Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Kodela Siva Prasada Rao has passed away after allegedly committing suicide on Monday at his Banjara Hills residence in Hyderabad. The politician was reportedly found hanging from a ceiling, after which he was rushed to Basavatarakam Cancer Hospital in the city.

According to initial reports, the efforts to save Kodela Siva Prasada Rao though turned futile as he was apparently brought dead to the hospital. The TDP leader was 72 and is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.

The hospital is currently being visited by numerous TDP members and followers of the leader. The police are reportedly investigating the incident to gain further insights. An official announcement on the cause of the death is awaited.

Born in Kandlagunta in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district in 1947, Kodela Siva Prasada Rao entered politics in 1983. Eventually, he went on to serve as the Home Minister in NT Rama Rao’s cabinet in 1985. In a political career spanning over three decades, the senior politician was a 6-time MLA and had held several positions in Chandrababu Naidu’s cabinet including that of the Assembly Speaker, post the State bifurcation in 2014. He, however, lost the Assembly elections in 2019.

Telangana Chief Minister, K Chandrasekhar Rao, as per a statement released by the Telangana CMO, expressed grief over the demise of Prasada Rao. The Telangana CM offered condolences to the family of the former Speaker of Andhra Pradesh.