CPI(M) leader Koratala Satyanarayana dead

CPI(M) leader Satyanarayana dead- The Times of India: "Veteran communist leader and CPI(M) Central Committee member Koratala Satyanarayana died here on Saturday after prolonged illness, family sources said.

He was 83 and leaves behind his wife and four children. Satyanarayana, a freedom fighter and a key player in the communist movement in the state, was suffering from cancer and was under treatment for the last six months.

He breathed his last at his residence here at 8.30 AM, the sources said. Satyanarayana was elected to the state Assembly from Repalle constituency in Guntur district in 1962 and again in 1978.

A champion of farmers' cause, Satyanarayana was a member of the CPI(M) Politburo from 2002 to 2005. He had also served as Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh CPI(M) unit from 1991 to 1997.

Widely respected for his simplicity, leadership abilities and deep commitment to the people's issues, Satyanarayana was the President of AP Rythu Sangham, a front organisation of the CPI (M), for several years.

The cremation will take place on Monday, his family said. Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy visited the MLA Quarters and consoled the family members of Satyanarayana.

Paying homage to the Marxist leader, Reddy said he would be remembered for his high moral standards, dedication to the cause of farmers and other disadvantaged sections.

Satyanarayana's death was an irreparable loss to the State, he said. Meanwhile, the state Congress President K Kesava Rao expressed shock over the demise of the veteran communist leader and said "he was a committed leader and always worked for the welfare of the downtrodden. His death caused a big void in the leftist movement in the country."

Governor Rameshwar Thakur condoled the death of Satyanarayana."