Veteran Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabha Reddy dies at 73 in Hyderabad private hospital
HYDERABAD: Senior politician and prominent Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabha Reddy died on Tuesday evening while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Hyderabad. He was 73.
Mudragada had been receiving treatment at Sindhu Hospital for the past few days after his health deteriorated. He died on Tuesday evening, family sources said.
His death prompted condolences from political leaders across party lines, supporters and members of the Kapu community. He remained one of the most influential Kapu leaders in Andhra Pradesh and stayed active in public life for more than four decades.
Political career spanned more than four decades
Born in Kirlampudi village in East Godavari district, Mudragada was the son of Veera Raghava Rao, a prominent local leader. Rao served as an Independent MLA from Prattipadu in 1962 and 1967. Popularly known as the Kirlampudi Munsiff, he was a well-known political figure in the region.
Mudragada completed his schooling in his native village before entering electoral politics.
He began his political career in 1978 after winning the Assembly election as a Janata Party candidate. He joined the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) after N.T. Rama Rao founded it in 1982. He won the Prattipadu Assembly seat in 1983 and again in 1985.
During his political career, Mudragada served as a four-time Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), a Member of Parliament and a minister in governments led by both the TDP and the Indian National Congress. He earned recognition as one of Andhra Pradesh’s most prominent Kapu leaders.
Joined YSRCP before the 2024 Assembly elections
Ahead of the 2024 Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, Mudragada joined the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) on March 15, 2024. He joined the party in the presence of its president and then Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy at the party’s camp office in Tadepalli.
His decision drew mixed reactions. Sections of the Kapu community expressed disappointment over his move.
During the election campaign, Mudragada drew attention after declaring that he would change his name from Padmanabham to Padmanabha Reddy if Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan was not defeated in the Pithapuram Assembly constituency.
Pawan Kalyan won the seat by a margin of 70,279 votes against YSRCP candidate Vanga Geetha. Following the election, Mudragada honoured his promise and completed the legal process to change his name to Mudragada Padmanabha Reddy on June 20, 2024.
His death marks the end of the political journey of a leader who remained a prominent voice for the Kapu community and Andhra Pradesh politics for more than four decades.
