Visakhapatnam:

Pusapati Ananda gajapathi Raju, the eldest son of the last Rajah of Vizianagaram, PVG Raju, and hereditary trustee of 108 temples, including the Simhachalam Devasthanam and the MANSAS Trust, Pusapati Ananda Gajapathi Raju (65) died of respiratory problems at a hospital here on Saturday. The head of the royal Pusapati clan, Ananda Gajapathi Raju also served as former state health and education minister and was also elected twice to the Lok Sabha from Vizianagaram constituency.

An MA in economics from Columbia University, Ananda also worked as an journalist with a leading national daily from the south. He is the elder brother of Union civil aviation minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju. He is survived by his wife and two daughters. His body was taken to Bungalow-7 in Vizianagaram soon after he passed away and the last rites were performed at the cremation grounds in Vizianagaram at 4.30 pm by Ashok Gajapathi Raju.

An avid reader and collector of books, Ananda Gajapathi Raju was considered one of the shining stars in AP politics. However, he invested all his efforts into turning MANSAS into a motivated and well-organised institution.

“His presence will be sorely missed by us all. He was a visionary who turned MANSAS into a proactive organisation and somebody who believed in selfless service,” said one of the members of his extended family.