Hyderabad: Former APCC president Dharmapuri Srinivas passes away; tributes pour in
Srinivas who hails from Nizamabad district began his political career with the Congress and served in various positions
By Sistla Dakshina Murthy Published on 29 Jun 2024 2:41 AM GMT
Hyderabad: Senior Telangana Congress leader and former Rajya Sabha member Dharmapuri Srinivas aka DS passed away in the wee hours today. He was 76.
Srinivas has been ailing for the past few months. He suffered a heart attack and passed away, the family members said.
Srinivas is survived by wife and two sons. His elder son Sanjay is ex-Mayor of Nizamabad. His younger son Arvind Dharmapuri is a businessman and Member of Parliament of Nizamabad from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy directed state Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari to make arrangements to conduct the last rites of Srinivas with full state honours.
Srinivas who hails from Nizamabad district began his political career with the Congress and served in various positions including the president of APCC in the united Andhra Pradesh. He was elected as an MLA for the first time from Nizamabad Urban. Later he was elected as an MLA in 1999 and 2004.
Srinivas was the PCC president during the 2004 and 2009 assembly and general elections.
Srinivas served as Minister for Rural Development and I & PR between 1989 and 1994, Minister for Higher Education, Urban and Land Ceiling departments between 2004 and 2008 during the former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddyās Cabinet. He also played a pivotal role in the alliance between the Congress and the TRS party (now BRS) during 2004.
Srinivas was a nephew of former finance minister Argul Rajaram of Andhra Pradesh. Srinivas lost the elections in 2009, 2010 (by-election) 2012 to BJP, and 2014 to BRS party respectively. Between 2013 and 2015, Srinivas served as an MLC.
After being upset with the Congress leadership for denial of the MLC ticket for the second time, he quit the party on July 2, 2015.
Srinivas served as the Rajya Sabha member from the BRS between 2016 and 2022. In May 2023, DS rejoined the Congress along with his elder son D Sanjay.
Taking on X, Srinivas's younger son and Nizamabad MP Arvind Dharmapuri expressed his condolences.
Chief Minister's of Telugu Speaking states A Revanth Reddy and Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, Telangana ministers, and senior leaders of the Congress party expressed condolences over his demise.
