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Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister NT Rama Rao's daughter Kanthamaneni Uma Maheswari was found dead at her Hyderabad home on Monday, 1 August, the police have said.
It has been reported that she had been suffering from a brief illness. Jubilee Hills CI Rajasekhar Reddy told TNM that it is a case of suicide, and the reason will be known only after an investigation.
Uma was the youngest among 12 children of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder, and was the youngest of four sisters.
Former Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Daggubati Purandeswari and Nara Bhuwaneswari, who is TDP President and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu's wife, are her sisters.
Chandrababu Naidu, his son Nara Lokesh, and other family members rushed to Maheswari's residence.
Uma Maheswari's brother N Balakrishna, a Tollywood actor and TDP legislator, as well as other family members who live abroad, have been informed, family sources told IANS.
Youngest Daughter of TDP Founder
NT Rama Rao, popularly known as NTR, was one of the tallest Telugu leaders. The actor-turned-politician had floated the TDP in 1982 on the slogan of Telugu self-respect and created a record of sorts by leading the party to power within nine months, ending the single-party rule of the Congress in then undivided Andhra Pradesh.
He died in 1996 at the age of 72, a few months after he was thrown out of power following a revolt led by his son-in-law Chandrababu Naidu.
NTR had 12 children – eight sons and four daughters. Uma Maheswari was the youngest of the four daughters.
Many family members had come together recently at the wedding of Uma Maheswari's daughter. NTR's three sons, including actor and former minister N Harikrishna, have passed away.
(Published in an arrangement with The News Minute.)
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