Tirupati: BJP leaders condole Manikyala Rao's demise

Tirupati: BJP leaders from the district on Saturday condoled the death of former minister and party senior leader P Manikyala Rao, who died of Covid in Vijayawada while undergoing treatment in a hospital.

The leaders including party state secretaries G Bhanuprakash Reddy (Tirupati), Kola Anandbabu (Srikalahasti) and others said that Rao is an upright man committed to principles and worked lifelong sincerely for the party. As an Endowments minister, he was responsible for introducing 'Divya Darshan,' a programme to provide free pilgrimage to famous temples in the state for poor benefitting thousands and strengthening their cultural and spiritual moorings.

BJP state committee members and Tirupati Brahmana Samajam secretary Kothapalli Ajay Kumar also expressed his grief over the death of Manikyala Rao and recalled his contribution for building the party in the state and taking up many innovative programmes when he was a minister for propagation of Hinduism through Endowment department.