Congress MP Palvai Govardhan Reddy dies in Kullu after suffering from a cardiac arrest

New Delhi/Hyderabad: Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member from Telangana Palvai Govardhan Reddy died on Friday after suffering a cardiac arrest while travelling in Kullu in Himachal Pradesh. He was 80.

According to family sources, Reddy, who was accompanied by his wife, was going by car to Kullu to attend a parliamentary committee meeting when he suffered a cardiac arrest.

He was rushed to a local hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.

A five-time MLA in Andhra Pradesh before the bifurcation of the state, Reddy was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2012 was a member of several committees.

He is survived by wife, two sons and a daughter.

Reddy's body would be taken to his New Delhi residence and then brought to Hyderabad. The cremation will take place at his native Idikuda in Nalgonda district tomorrow.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad expressed deep sorrow and grief at the death of the veteran Congress leader.

"He was a very seasoned parliamentarian and has richly contributed to the proceedings, both in the Legislative Assembly and Parliament, of which he remained member from time to time in his long political career. In his death, the Congress has lost a great parliamentarian and a leader," he said.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has expressed shock over the death of Reddy and conveyed his condolence to the members of the bereaved family.

The chief minister spoke to TRS MP Kotha Prabhakar Reddy who was with Govardhan Reddy in the Parliamentary standing committee, which met at Kullu to know the details of the incident.

"The chief minister has instructed Chief Secretary S P Singh and Delhi Resident Commissioner Arvind Kumar to arrange a charted flight to bring the mortal remains of Govardhan Reddy to Hyderabad.

"He has also asked MPs Keshav Rao and Jithender Reddy to oversee the arrangements for bringing the body and other elated things," the CM's office said.

Several leaders cutting across party lines expressed grief over Reddy's death.

Congress MP KVP Ramachandra Rao said he lost a very good friend, while the party's Rajya Sabha member Rapolu Anand Bhaskar said Reddy was like a "link between Pandit Nehru's generation and the youth of the country".

"His demise is loss to me, the Congress and Telangana. My humble prayers for eternal peace to the departed soul and strength to his bereaved wife and children," Bhaskar said.

Congress' Mohammed Ali Shabbir, the leader of opposition in the Telangana Legislative Council, said Reddy was a seasoned parliamentarian and his death is great loss to the Congress.

CPI's Telangana state secretary Chada Venkat Reddy said the Congress has lost an able leader.

BJP state president K Laxman expressed grief saying Reddy was active in the Telangana movement and his death is loss to the state.