Former Member of Parliament and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Sabbam Hari passed away on May 3. He had been undergoing treatment at a hospital after testing positive for the coronavirus earlier in April, according to reports. While he had recently tested negative for the virus, he died due to respiratory problems, his son Sabbam Venkat told the media. Sabbam Hari is survived by two daughters and a son.
Sabbam Hari was born in Tagarapuvalasa in Visakhapatnam on June 1, 1952. He joined the Congress in the mid-1980s, and served as the Mayor of Vizag from 1995 to 2000. In 2009, he won the Lok Sabha election from Anakapalle constituency, contesting from the Congress. Hari was a supporter of the united Andhra movement, opposing the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. He even joined the Jai Samaikyandhra party launched by former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N Kiran Kumar Reddy. He later joined the TDP before the 2019 general elections. He contested from the Bheemunipatnam Assembly constituency but lost to YSRCP’s Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao, who is now the state Tourism Minister.
Several politicians mourned his death and expressed condolences. Sabbam Hari was also remembered for his contributions to Vizag city in his capacity as the Mayor.
YSRCP MP Vijayasai Reddy wrote, “Former MP Sabbam Hari’s sudden death is upsetting. I offer my deep condolences to his family members. I pray that his soul rests in peace.” Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu wrote, “The death of Sabbam Hari, who always stuck to his values in politics, is an irreplaceable loss for the politics of Andhra Pradesh.”
BJP leader and Himachal Pradesh Governor Bandaru Dattatreya also expressed his condolences. His son Sabbam Venkat reportedly said that Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu had been regularly inquiring after his health.
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