Hyderabad: Former Andhra Pradesh Assembly speaker and senior TDP leader Kodela Siva Prasad Rao (72) who allegedly attempted suicide by hanging himself at his residence in Hyderabad, died on Monday afternoon. His family members had immediately rushed him to Basavatarakam Indo American Cancer Hospital in Banjara Hills, but he died while undergoing treatment.

However the hospital authorities stated that the former AP former Assembly speaker had died of heart attack. The doctors are said to have tried their best to save him, but Kodela reportedly died of cardiac arrest after the failed suicide attempt.

It is reported that he was unwell last week and was admitted in his own hospital for a heart ailment in Guntur. Its is said that after treatment, he had come back to Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, politicians cutting across party lines have been thronging Basavatarakam Hospital to pay their last respects and offer their condolences to the former speaker's family.

The Hyderabad police has reached the residence of Kodela Sivapreasada Rao in Banjara Hills. They have reportedly registered a case of suicide. As per reports, Kodela's body has been sent to Osmania Hospital for post-mortem amid tight security.

Even though media reports are stating that Kodela hanged himself to death, there are contradicting reports about him dying of heart attack. The police are speaking to the family members to ascertain the real cause of his death.

People close to him say that Kodela was not a coward to end his life over cases. Kodela's death has led to a lot of speculation about the cause of his sudden demise. The police is also looking for a possible suicide note at his residence.

A senior TDP leader, Kodela has been under severe stress after a series of cases filed against him and his family members, including the infamous Assembly furniture case, which has been haunting him.

A doctor by profession, Kodela was a six-time MLA from the Guntur region. He made his political entry in 1983 when TDP founder NT Rama Rao invited him to join the party and contest elections. He won the Narasaraopet assembly seat for the first time in 1983 and rose steadily in ranks to win the assembly elections six times (1983,1985, 1989, 1994,1999, 2014) . He lost twice in 2004 and 2009 and the recent elections in 2019. He worked as a Cabinet minister both in NT Rama Rao’s and N Chandrababu Naidu’s regime. He was also elected as the Speaker of the AP Assembly after bifurcation in 2014.

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