Hyderabad: Veteran BJP-Jan Sangh leader and former Sikkim Governor Ventrapragada Rama Rao died of prolonged illness here on Sunday evening. He was 80 and suffering from chest congestion.
Admitted to a private hospital, his condition had deteriorated by Sunday evening. Relatives shifted him to his residence in MLA’s Colony in Jubilee Hills, where he breathed his last.
Rama Rao was a stalwart in the Legislative Council of the United Andhra Pradesh, to which he had been elected four consecutive times from Hyderabad Graduates Constituency between 1966 and 1985.
He served it till the Council was abolished in 1985. An advocate, Rama Rao joined Jan Sangh in 1956, remained with the BJP after its formation in the 80s, and served twice as president of the party in Andhra Pradesh.
He was also national vice president of the BJP for some time. He was appointed as Governor of Sikkim during the NDA tenure in 2002.
After demitting office, he returned to state politics and then turned passive due to his old age.
The deceased leader was active in trade union litigations and served as president of the employees’ and workers’ unions of several state and central PSUs and corporations such as the Andhra Pradesh State Finance Corporation, the Andhra Pradesh state small scale industries development corporation, the South Central Railway Employees Union etc.
He is survived by his wife Vasantha Kumari and son Srinivas.
Several senior BJP leaders including Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya rushed to his residence and paid homage to the departed.
Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah, who had been with Rama Rao for 17 years in the Council, said, “Though we used to differ on party lines, we were very good friends.”
Rama Rao’s body will be taken to the state BJP office Monday to enable the public pay him homage, before the funeral.
