HYDERABAD: Veteran journalist Mullapudi Sadasiva Sharma, former Editor of Andhra Bhoomi, died of a cardiac arrest at 7.30 am at a city hospital in Neredmet here on Friday. He was 61 and is survived by wife M. Lakshmi Padmavathi and 18-year-old daughter Srividya.
On Thursday evening, he was rushed to a hospital with health complaints and later shifted to another private hospital in Neredmet.
Sharma held various positions in the last four decades, including in frontline Telugu, Hindi and English publications. Having realised the potential of media during and after the emergency, he opted for print media in the 1980s.
In his 37-year journalism career, Sharma served as the Sunday supplement in-charge of Andhra Prabha during 1991, news editor in Krishna Patrika in 1993, news editor in Hindi Milap from 1995-2006, Editor of Andhra Prabha 2006-2007, executive editor of Hindi Milap from 2007-2011 and as Editor of Andhra Bhoomi since 2018.
A 1984 gold medallist, he received the Keerti Puraskaram in 2012 from Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University and the Kasinadhuni Nageswara Rao award for outstanding contribution to Telugu journalism in 2007 apart from participating in European Round Table conference in 2003 and 2006.
Sharma also mentored former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh N. Chandrababu Naidu.
Press Academy chairman Allam Narayana and TS BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar, among many others, mourned the death of Sharma. Several politicians and journalists conveyed their condolences to the bereaved family.
