A veteran Telugu Desam Party leader, member of Andhra Pradesh legislative council and former Member of Parliament from Visakhapatnam MVVS Murthy was killed in a road accident in the United States of America on Tuesday.
According to his family members in Visakhapatnam 76 years old Murthy, who had founded the renowned deemed university “Gitam” died when the car he was travelling in collided with a truck in Alaska. Murthy, also famous as “Gitam Murthy” and Gold Spot Murthy for successfully marketing the soft drink of that brand, was in the USA to address an Alumni meet of the university he founded.
Murthy and three others died when they were on their way from Alaska to visit Anchorage wildlife sanctuary.
Others who died in the accident include V Basavapunnaiah, V Shivaprasad, VBR Choudhary.
Telugu Association of North America president Satish Vemana said that all the four bodies were shifted to Alaska State Medical Examination Centre for postmortem. Another person who was injured in the accident was also admitted to hospital.
The news of his death sent waves of shock in Visakhapatanam from where he was elected to Lok Sabha twice in 1991 and 1999. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressing deep grief and distress over the death of senior party leader directed the State Government officials based in New Delhi to make necessary arrangements to bring the body of Murthy for funeral with State honors. MVVS Murthy was with the TDP since its formation by the film star turned politician NT Rama Rao.
A successful businessman Murthy turned to education when he founded Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management and worked hard to take it to new heights. The Institute was recognized by the Government of India as a deemed university.
Another addition to a long list Murthy’s death has come even before the TDP could recover from the shock the death of another senior party leader N Harikrishna in a road accident in Nalgonda district near Hyderabad recently.
The latest in the series of many such tragedies hitting the TDP men has left the party cadres wondering whether the party was hit by any curse.
The long list of party leaders who fell victim to the road accidents include former Parliamentary party leader K Yerran Naidu who was killed on November 2, 2012 in when he was returning to his hometown Srikaulam from Visakhapatnam.
His car was hit by a truck. He was one of the politburo members of the party.
TDP general secretary and former MP Lal Jan Basha, another key leader of the party died on August 15, 2013 while going from Hyderabad to his hometown Guntur.
His vehicle overturned near Narkatpally in Nalgonda district and he died on the spot.
It was in the same district that another politburo of the TDP N Harikrishna died on August 29 last when his vehicle over turned after hitting divider at a very high speed.
He was on his way to attend a wedding. He was son of party founder NT Rama Rao and brother in law of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.