Tirupati MLA M Venkataramana died of prolonged illness at a Chennai hospital in the wee hours of Monday. He was 67.
He is survived by his wife and two daughters.
Venkataramana, who was suffering from heart ailments and was hospitalised for the past few weeks, underwent a bypass surgery on Sunday at Apollo Hospitals in Chennai. According to sources, it was his third bypass surgery, and appeared to have failed.
Venkataramana had switched over to the TDP from the Congress during the last Assembly elections, and had also secured the Party's ticket for the prestigious Tirupati Assembly constituency. He had also served as the Chairman of the Tirupati Urban Development Authority.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Leader of the Opposition Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, APCC President Dr N Raghuveera Reddy, TDP leader Nara Lokesh and other leaders expressed their deep condolences over Venkataramana's death. (INN)