Ex-MP, TDP senior leader Siva Prasad passes away

Hyderabad: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) stalwart and twice-elected Lok Sabha member Dr Naramilli Siva Prasad passed away while undergoing treatment at a corporate hospital in Chennai. He was suffering from kidneys’ problem for quite some time. The 68-year-old politician is survived by his wife Vijayalakshmi and two daughters.

A well-known comedian in Tollywood before entering politics, Siva Prasad became famous among many Parliamentarians between 2009 and 2018 through his fancy dressing sense and theatrics during the fight for the rights of Andhra Pradesh.

During 2013 – 14, he drew the attention of fellow Parliamentarians by donning one variety role from mythology and contemporary history every day in the Parliament to highlight his demand against bifurcating Andhra Pradesh.

Similarly, during the fight for Special Category Status for Andhra Pradesh during 2017-18, he was an attraction for the media. When he went to the Parliament in a transgender attire last year, a group of transgenders, slapped a police case against him in Nandyal town in Kurnool district. He also wore costumes of a woman.

He also dressed as a fisherman, dictator Adolf Hitler, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Lord Krishna, Sri Satya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi, a black magic practitioner and a foreteller, besides as a cleric, a Christian priest, Santa Claus, Mahatma Gandhi, TDP founder NT Rama Rao among other personalities to draw the nation’s attention to the demand of AP.

Actor-politician M Muralimohan was his company in enacting the mythological kits. His variety of protests caught the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi too.

Siva Prasad was born in July 1952. He pursued MBBS from Sri Venkateswara Medical College in Tirupati. While practising as a doctor, he got opportunities in the film industry and established an image as a comedian. In 1995, he joined the TDP. He got elected to the Assembly twice during 1999 and 2004 from Satyaveedu constituency in Chittoor district and had served as Information and Public Relations minister in Chandrababu Naidu cabinet till 2001. The party later sent him to Lok Sabha in 2009.

Siva Prasad introduced firebrand politician RK Roja, who is currently in YSR Congress Party.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy and TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu paid their condolences.