Veteran TDP leader, Andhra MLC VVS Murthy dies in US
What's the story
Veteran Telugu Desam Party leader, educationist and member of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council M VVS Murthy died in a road accident in the US. He was 76.
Murthy and three others were killed in a car-truck collision on the highway near Alaska in the US, where he had gone to take part in the GITAM Alumni meet on October 6.
Information
Efforts are on to bring Murthy's body to Andhra Pradesh
The MLC was on his way to a wildlife sanctuary when the accident occurred on Monday afternoon (US time). Telugu Association of North America members are coordinating with the US authorities to bring the TDP leader's body back to the state.
Politics
Timeline of Murthy's political career
Murthy had been an active leader of the TDP since 1983 and had a close association with the party's founder-president N T Rama Rao.
He served as Chairman of Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority from 1987 to 1989 and lost the 1989 Lok Sabha election.
In 1991, Murthy was elected from Visakhapatnam to Parliament for the first time and then again in 1999.
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Murthy established many colleges in the state
He served as a Lok Sabha member from Visakhapatnam for two terms from 1991-1996 and 1999-2004. Elected to the Legislative Council in 2014 from the Visakhapatnam Local Authorities constituency, Murthy, a doctorate in Economics, established many colleges in his native East Godavari and other districts.
Condolences
Andhra ministers condole 'Goldspot' Murthy's death
He founded the Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM) at Rushikonda near Visakhapatnam, which has now been granted a "deemed-to-be-university" status with campuses in Hyderabad and Bengaluru.
Murthy also owned a soft drink bottling plant in Visakhapatnam and became popular as 'Goldspot' Murthy.
CM Chandrababu Naidu, Council Chairman N Md Farook and Assembly Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao, among others, mourned his death.
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Naidu expresses grief over Murthy's sudden demise
"His services as an MP and an MLC are memorable. His death is a deep loss to the field of education and also politics," Naidu said in a message. He also expressed anguish over the death of many TDP leaders in road accidents.