VISAKHAPATNAM: The last rites of senior BJP leader PV Chalapathi Rao were performed with full state honours at Chavulamadum in Visakhapatnam on Monday. The police fired three rounds as a mark of respect to the departed soul.
The senior leader had passed away at a private hospital on Sunday. He was 87. A host of senior leaders, including BJP State president Somu Veerraju, from Telangana and Karnataka, accorded a tearful adieu to the senior leader and participated in the funeral procession which began from his residence at Pithapuram colony.
Veeraju placed the BJP flag on the mortal remains of the senior leader. Rao’s body was brought to the BJP party office, where several leaders paid tributes to him. Governor of Mizoram K Haribabu visited Rao’s residence and paid homage to the departed leader. BJP MP GVL Narasimha Rao, party State vice-president P Vishnu Kumar Raju, party parliamentary district president M Ravindra, BJP Yuva Mocha State president Surendra Mohan, party official spokesperson Suhasini Anand and others offered floral tributes to Chalapathi Rao.
IT minister Gudivada Amarnath, former ministers Ganta Srinivasa Rao and Konatala Ramakrishna, Visakhapatnam parliament district president Palla Srinivasa Rao, TDP MLA PVGR Naidu and others also paid their respects to Rao. A number of top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressed their condolences.