YSR used to rely on KVP's advise on matters like appointments and transfers of bureaucrats and even giving key posts to the Congress party leaders. Last year KVP was nominated to Rajya Sabha by the party's central leadership on the recommendation of YSR.

'It is difficult to imagine one without the other. If I am the body, he is my soul,' YSR had once said about KVP.

'YSR is the sun and I am only a satellite. The light around me will be there till he is there,' KVP had remarked.

Though shaken by the tragedy, KVP never broke down for a moment as a stream of mourners passed by him. It was he who persuaded Jaganmohan Reddy to come before the camera to make an appeal to people to be calm and not commit suicide.

However KVP did break down. As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and other leaders went inside to console YSR's wife and children, he lost control of himself, kept his head on the casket and stood for 10 minutes in that position, bringing tears to the eyes of those present there.