Vijayabhaskara Reddy passes away

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, SEPT. 27. Mr. Kotla Vijayabhaskara Reddy, a former Chief Minister, veteran Parliamentarian and stalwart in Andhra politics, passed away today.

Mr. Reddy battled for life for 41 days at Apollo Hospitals as he was kept on mechanical ventilator. His condition deteriorated over the last two days as he developed multiple organ dysfunction.

Efforts of the doctors to resuscitate him proved futile and he breathed last at 11.50 a.m. with family members and close followers around. He was admitted to the hospital on August 17 for evaluation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and later developed other complications. Last week, he was shifted from Presidential suite to the Intensive Care Unit in the corporate hospital.

Mr.Vijayabhaskara Reddy was 82 and is survived by wife, Syamala Devi, sons - Mr. K. J. Suryaprakash Reddy, who is the Kurnool District Congress president, and Mr. Ramesh Reddy - and three daughters - Vasanthi, Indumathi and Varalaxmi. He celebrated his 82nd birthday on August 16 and was admitted to the hospital the next day.

Besides family members, a large number of Congress(I) leaders were around when the end came. The APCC(I) president, Mr. M. Satyanarayana Rao, the CLP leader, Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, former Chief Ministers - Mr.N.Janardhan Reddy and Mr. N. Bhaskara Rao - were among the mourners who reported at the hospital on coming to know of his demise.

His body was embalmed and shifted to his residence at the Banjara Hills around 2 p.m. The Governor, Dr. C. Rangarajan, visited the house around 2.40 p.m. and placed a wreath on the body draped in the tricolour.

The Lok Sabha Speaker, Mr. G. M. C. Balayogi, and the Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, were the other dignitaries to reach his residence and pay homage.

Talking to presspersons after paying homage to the departed leader, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu said the Government had decided to accord the funeral with police honours. The State would observe mourning from Sept. 27 to 29.

Funeral with state honours will take place on the banks of the Hundri river in Kurnool town on Sept. 29. The body will be kept at Gandhi Bhavan, Congress(I) headquarters, from 8.30 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. on Friday.

Later, the body will be moved to Kurnool and kept at the District Congress Committee office building from 3.00 p.m. on Friday till the funeral the next day to enable people of his native district to pay respect to their leader.

As soon as news of his demise spread, the hospital premises was filled with mourners. As the body was shifted to his residence, visitors queued up to pay their respect. Many of them, including those who served long stints as his personal staff, broke down. Mr. Ramachandra Pillai, who was his personal assistant for over four decades, Mr. Prakash Yadav, his driver for three decades, and Mr. A. Chandrasekhar Reddy, who served as PRO, were seen sobbing uncontrollably.

Three senior leaders - Mr. N. D. Tiwari, Mr. Motilal Vora and Mr. R. K. Dhawan - have been deputed by the Congress(I) president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, to attend the funeral, to be held at Kurnool in accordance with the wishes of the departed leader. A three-acre site on the banks of the Handri was identified for the funeral. Former Minister, Mr. K. Satyanarayana Raju, and noted film personality, Mr. M. S. Reddy, met the Chief Minister and requested him for the funeral site.

According to them, Mr. Naidu assured all cooperation from the Government for other proposals including a statue in Hyderabad to perpetuate the memory of the departed leader. Local holiday is declared in Kurnool on the day of the funeral.

Death condoled

Meanwhile,in a condolence message, the Governor, Dr. C. Rangarajan, described Mr. Reddy as a highly public spirited politician. `In his death, the country has lost a political leader of long experience, wisdom and maturity.'

The Chief Minister, Mr. Naidu, recalled Mr. Reddy's services as `an able administrator and senior politician.' As the Chief Minister for two times, and as a senior Union Cabinet Minister handling different portfolios, he rendered services for the welfare of the people.

The APCC(I) president, Mr. M. Satyanarayana Rao, said Mr. Reddy served the people with utmost loyalty and dedication. The Union Minister for Rural Development, Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu, the state BJP president, Mr. C. Ramachandra Reddy, and BJP legislature party leader, Mr. N. Indrasekha Reddy, said Mr. Reddy left an indelible imprint on the national politics.

The CPI State secretary, Mr. S. Sudhakar Reddy, said Mr. Reddy served the nation and the state in different capacities and his contribution to the irrigation development, especially in Rayalaseema region was significant.

The CPI(M) state secretary, Mr. B. V. Raghavulu, has expressed the party's grief over the demise of Mr. Vijayabhaskara Reddy.

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