Ex-Deputy CM Jagannath Rao dead

HYDERABAD: Senior Congress leader and former deputy chief minister C Jagannath Rao died on Monday due to cardiac arrest.He was 88 and is survived by wife, a son and two daughters.His mortal remains would be kept for visitors at his residence in Padmaraonagar in Secunderabad.Rao, a native to Narsapur in Medak district, held several posts in the party and worked under several chief ministers during the Congress rule.He began his political career as Narsapur samiti president and was elected three times to the Assembly from Narsapur.He was deputy chief minister when Bhavanam Venkataram was the chief minister.He was very close to former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao.With the entry of V Sunitha Laxma Reddy, now minister, into politics, Rao distanced himself from active politics in the district.Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, PCC president Botcha Satyanarayana, deputy chief minister Damodar Rajanarasimha, TRS chief Chandrasekhar Rao and several others hailed him as the champion of backward classes.