Bharadwaja died of multi-organ failure at 8.30 PM at a private hospital where he was undergoing treatment, family sources said.
Bharadwaja, an illustrious writer, received Jnanapith in 2012 for his magnum opus 'Pakudu Rallu' (slippery stones).
Despite having little formal education and humble beginnings, Bharadwaja went on to pen several critically-acclaimed books which won various prestigious awards.
Born in coastal Andhra, he also worked as a journalist for some time.
The final rites would be performed tomorrow afternoon.
Expressing grief over Bharadwaja's death, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy said the state had lost a great litterateur.