Hyderabad, Sep 5 - It was late Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's best friend who broke the news of his death to the leader's shocked family.

It was left to K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao, a long time associate of YSR, as the chief minister was popularly known, to tell the family that the chief minister had perished in the helicopter crash Wednesday.

YSR and Rao, or KVP, studied together in Gulbarga Medical College and their friendship continued till YSR's death.

When YSR's chopper went missing Wednesday, Rao was the first to rush to the chief minister's office at the secretariat. The next day when he was informed of YSR's death, he collapsed on a sofa in secretariat.

After some time he gathered courage and left for the chief minister's camp office to console YSR's family members. He stood by the body of his friend with YSR's son Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy.

KVP always stood by his friend, working as his advisor on key issues. After YSR became chief minister in 2004, KVP started playing a key role as advisor to the government on public affairs.