TDP leader and former AP Speaker Siva Prasada Rao commits suicide
Hyderabad, Sep 16: Senior TDP leader and former Speaker of Andhra Pradesh Assembly Kodela Siva Prasada Rao was declared dead at a hospital here on Monday amid speculation that he committed suicide.
He was 72.
Mystery appeared to shroud the death of Rao as the exact cause of death was not immediately known and a senior police official told PTI matter is being investigated.
TDP politburo member Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy said Rao was reportedly brought to the Basavatarakam Cancer hospital here by his staff.
Rao, a medical doctor, has been a director of the Basavatarakam Cancer hospital.
Reddy said he and other TDP leaders visited the hospital after coming to know about the former Andhra Speaker's death.
Rao's daughter, who was present at the hospital, was in a state of shock and they could not ask her what had happened, Reddy said.
Police investigation was on into the matter, he said.
Rao, who lost the Assembly elections in May this year from Sattenapalli in Guntur district, was the Speaker of the Assembly during 2014-19.
He was elected to the Assembly from Guntur district on six occasions.
He had been a member of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) since its inception and had held key portfolios including Home, major irrigation, panchayat raj, rural development and health, in the governments of TDP founder late N T Rama Rao and incumbent TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, state BJP chief K Laxman and several other leaders condoled the death of Siva Prasada Rao.
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RR beat RCB by six wickets in IPL
Guwahati (PTI): Blistering fifties by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Dhruv Jurel powered Rajasthan Royals to a six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their IPL match here on Friday.
Sent in to bat, RCB rode on a fighting half-century by skipper Rajat Patidar (63) to post 201 for 8.
Virat Kohli (32), Romario Shepherd (22) and Venkatesh Iyer (29) also chipped in with useful contributions.
In reply, Sooryavanshi (78 off 26 balls) and Dhruv Jurel (81 not out off 43 balls) shared a 37-ball 108-run partnership for the second wicket to set the platform. Krunal Pandya (2/30) tried to bring them back with back-to-back wickets.
But Jurel, in the company of Ravindra Jadeja (24), completed the task with another 68-run stand, with two overs to spare.
For RR, Jofra Archer (2/33), Ravi Bishnoi (2/32) and Brijesh Sharma (2/37) took two wickets.
Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 201 for 8 in 20 overs (Rajat Patidar 63; Jofra Archer 2/33, Ravi Bishnoi 2/32, Brijesh Sharma 2/37).
Rajasthan Royals: 202 for 4 in 18 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 78, Dhruv Jurel 80 not out; Krunal Pandya 2/30, Josh Hazlewood 2/44).
