Vivekananda Reddy's Death: Unnatural!

YS Vivekananda Reddy, former minister and younger brother of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, was found dead today at his residence in Kadapa district. Reddy was initially believed to have suffered heart attack around dawn, but his family members, who found blood and bruises over his face, have expressed suspicion over the death as he was alone at home on the ill-fated night. They have complained to the police.

A case under unnatural death was registered and the body moved to the Pulivendula government hospital for postmortem. YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and his mother Vijayamma rushed to Pulivendula from Hyderabad on hearing the news.

Couple of days ago, Vivekananda Reddy was seen at the Lotus Pond residence of Jagan in Hyderabad and on yesterday he campaigned for the YSRC in Pulivendula constituency. He was alone at his residence in Pulivendula on Thursday night.

Vivekananda was elected as lawmaker in 1989 and 1994 from his hometown Pulivendula in Kadapa district. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Kadapa constituency in 1999 and 2004 and to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council in 2009. He had served as the agriculture minister under N Kiran Kumar Reddy in the then united Andhra Pradesh.

Vivekananda had a difference in opinions with his nephew, Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, after the latter quit the Congress and established the YSR Congress, and chose to stay back in the parent party.

He even lost the by-election to his sister-in-law, Vijayamma, in 2011. The family differences were sorted out and Vivekananda Reddy joined the YSR Congress.