Andhra Pradesh minister's body brought to Nellore

Nellore, Feb 22: The mortal remains of Andhra Pradesh minister Mekapati Gowtham Reddy were brought from Hyderabad to his home district Nellore on Tuesday. The body was airlifted from Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad to Nellore Parade Grounds and was later taken to his residence where it was kept for people to pay their last respects.

The minister's family members accompanied the body in a special helicopter. A pall of gloom descended at his house in Nellore as a large number of mourners lined up to pay homage. Ministers, legislators, other public representatives and leaders and workers of YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) reached Gowtham Reddy's residence to pay their respects. Reddy's supporters from his constituency Atmakur also arrived in large numbers.

State Industries, Commerce and Information Technology Minister Gowtham Reddy died of cardiac arrest at his residence in Hyderabad on Monday morning. He was 49. The last rites of the minister will be performed with full state honours on Wednesday at Udayagiri town in Nellore district. Gowtham Reddy's son Krishna Arjun Reddy is expected to reach Nellore from the United States by Tuesday evening.

Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who had rushed to Hyderabad on Monday to pay homage, will be attending the funeral on Wednesday. State Irrigation Minister Anil Kumar Yadav was supervising the arrangements for the funeral. He said the funeral procession will start in the morning from Gowtham Reddy's house in Nellore and reach Udayagiri by road in the afternoon. The funeral will be performed near Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy Institute of Technology and Sciences.