Veteran Telugu Desam Party leader MVVS Murthy dies in a road accident

Veteran Telugu Desam Party leader, educationist and member of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council M V V S Murthy died in a road accident in the USA, the party announced here Wednesday.

He was 76. He also served as a member of Lok Sabha from Visakhapatnam for two terms from 1991 to 1996 and 1999 to 2004. 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.

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 is coordinating with the US authorities to bring the TDP leader's body back to the state. 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 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.

He served as Chairman of Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority from 1987 to 1989 and lost the 1989 Lok Sabha election. In 1991, he was elected to Parliament from Visakhapatnam for the first time and again in 1999.

A doctorate in economics from Andhra University, Murthy established many colleges in his native East Godavari and other districts. He also owned a soft drinks bottling plant in Visakhapatnam and became popular as 'Goldspot' Murthy.

He was elected to the Legislative Council in 2014 from the Visakhapatnam Local Authorities constituency. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, his deputies K E Krishna Murthy, N China Rajappa, Council Chairman N Md Farook, Assembly Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao, ministers and MPs condoled Murthy's death. "I was shocked to learn about the death of Murthy.

His services as an MP and an MLC are memorable. His death is a deep loss to the field of education and also politics. It is a personal loss to me," Naidu said in a message. He also expressed anguish over the death of many TDP leaders in road accidents.

Deputy Chief Minister Krishna Murthy recalled that he and Murthy were elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1991. "I lost a good friend," he said. Ministers Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, K K Venkata Rao, Kalava Srinivasulu, Sidda Raghava Rao, N Lokesh, MPs Kesineni Srinivas, Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar, MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna, former MP C Ramachandraiah and several others condoled 'GITAM' Murthys death.

(With inputs from agencies.)