Friends and family testify to Shobha’s popularity, say she would have won the poll
Bhuma Nagi Reddy, along with his elder daughter Akhila, mourns the loss of his wife Shobha Nagi Reddy. (Photo: DC)
Hyderabad: Grief-stricken family members and followers of Shobha Nagi Reddy thronged Care Hospital on Thursday morning. They came from her native constituency of Allagadda early in the morning, hoping that she would have survived the car crash of the night before. Doctors, however, confirmed her death a few hours after she was admitted.
The car accident occurred around midnight on the Kurnool-Kadapa highway. Many of the relatives had participated in her election campaign in Nandyal the previous night, and could not believe that she was no more.
“We cannot imagine Allagadda without her. She was an irreplaceable legislator and was everything for the region,” said B.V. Ram Reddy, a relative of the late MLA, who is in charge of the YSRC’s Allagadda campaign. Mr Ram Reddy worked with Shobha irrespective of the different parties she switched to. He worries about how the political situation in Allagadda will now shape up after her demise.
A.R. Uma Maheswar Reddy, a party worker and family friend of the late MLA, who came to the hospital on Thursday, was in utter shock. “My grandfather and father were in the political rally that she last attended. A few hours after the campaigning, we came to know about the accident. It was hard to believe,” he said.
Those who worked for Shobha in her constituency of Allagadda firmly believe that she would have won the election with even more votes than what she had got last time. “She was one of the most powerful women Rayalaseema has seen. Her victory in this election was more than certain,” said G. Brahmananda Reddy, a YSR Congress activist and village sarpanch from Nandyal.
Allagadda YSRC workers testify to the popular support that Shobha enjoyed because of the developmental work that she had done. “Though she belonged to a powerful political family, she carved out her own niche with her sincere approach towards politics and people-friendly development in the region,” said a woman YSRC worker from Allagadda.
Jagan rushes to capital
YSR Congress president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday cancelled his election campaign in Ponnur town and went to the capital to pay tributes to YSR Congress candidate and sitting MLA Shobha Nagi Reddy, who passed away on Thursday.
Before leaving for Hyderabad, the YSR Congress chief said, “Shobha Nagi Reddy was like my sister. She accompanied me on many tours.”
Meanwhile, YSR Congress candidate for Guntur Lok Sabha Bala Souri, Narasaraopet Lok Sabha Alla Ayodhya Rami Reddy, party district unit convener Marri Rajasekhar and other leaders like Lella Appi Reddy and Atukuri Anajaneyulu expressed shock over the sudden demise of Shobha. They described her death as a great loss to the party.
In a separate statement, BJP state executive committee member leader B. Sridevi said that Shobha’s death was a loss to the state and expressed her condolences to her family members.
Shobha’s eyes donated
B. Shobha Nagi Reddy, the 46-year-old official spokesperson of the YSRC, was returning from Nandyal after attending a political rally with party leader Y.S. Sharmila. She was given first aid treatment in a private hospital and then rushed to Hyderabad early on Thursday morning. She was in the Intensive Care Unit of Care Hospital for more than four hours before doctors declared her dead at 11.05 am.
“We are sad to inform that Shobha Nagi Reddy, who was brought to Care Hospital on April 24 following a major road accident, is no more,” a medical bulletin issued by Care Hospital said. The MLA’s vehicle, a Mitsubishi Outlander, was moving at high speed, and the driver lost control when he tried to slow down to evade the paddy husk.
“We suspect that the driver could not see the husk heap from a reasonable distance. When he applied the brakes suddenly, the tyres slipped and the vehicle toppled over several times to the road side farm land. The MLA’s head hit the roof of the car and she was then thrown down,” said Kurnool superintendent of police K. Raghuram Reddy.
The SP said that Shobha was not wearing a seat belt though she was sitting in the front seat. He added that the injuries of the two gunmen sitting in the back, and the driver, were less serious comparatively. Passersby informed emergency services and the police about the accident. The victims were shifted to a private hospital in Nandyal, and later to Care Hospital in Hyderabad at around 7 am on Thursday.
In keeping with her wishes, Shobha’s eyes were donated to the Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital in the city. Her body was taken to Kurnool on Thursday afternoon. Sources said that her last rites will be performed at Allagadda on Friday.
Kurnool police said that a case has been registered against the car’s driver following a complaint received from one of the MLA’s gunmen. “We have booked a case against the driver under IPC Section 304 A for causing death due to negligence,” said the Kurnool SP.
Shobha Nagi Reddy is survived by her husband former Nandyal MP Bhuma Nagi Reddy, two daughters and a son.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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