KURNOOL: Former Proddatur MLA, senior YSR Congress Party leader Dr. M.V. Ramana Reddy (78) passed away on Wednesday morning, in Kurnool. The YSRCP leader was suffering for a long time due to lung-related ailments, died at Kurnool Hospital while undergoing treatment.

Malla Venkata Ramana Reddy was the founder president of Rayalaseema Vimochana Samiti and had favoured the formation of a separate Rayalaseema state. MV Ramana Reddy had resigned from the Legislative Assembly in 1985 after splitting with the NT Rama Rao over this issue. He had also staged protests focusing on the problems of the backward region and for the separate statehood for the Rayalaseema then. A scholarly Ramana Reddy was a former Naxalite activist and member of the ultra left-wing writers' forum, Virasam who had fought for the Rayalaseema people.

Several political leaders expressed their condolences over the leader’s demise who had fought for the rights of the Rayalaseema region. Tirupati YSRCP MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy expressed his condolences over the death of Ramana Reddy. He hailed the former MLA as a great writer and genius. Senior journalist Telakapalli Ravi, also expressed his condolences on the death of MV Ramana Reddy.

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