tyle="text-align: justify;">May 09,2016 :Veteran freedom fighter and former Sircilla MLA Chennamaneni Rajeshwara Rao passed away at a private hospital in Hyderabad following prolonged illness.He was 93, family sources said.

The senior leader, who is the elder brother of present Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, is survived by wife and a son.

Rao hailed from Marpaka village of Vemulawada mandal in Karimnagar district and participated in Telangana's armed struggle against the Nizam.

He started his political career as a communist and was elected as a CPI legislator from Sircilla assembly constituency in Karimnagar in 1967, 1978, 1985 and 1994 assembly elections.