PoliticalLeader – Veteran Kapu Leader Mudragada Padmanabha Reddy Dies at 73 After Prolonged Illness
PoliticalLeader –Veteran politician and influential Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabha Reddy passed away on Tuesday while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Hyderabad. He had been receiving medical care for several months after suffering from pulmonary and kidney-related health complications. His death marks the end of a political journey that extended over nearly five decades and left a lasting impact on Andhra Pradesh politics.
A Political Journey Spanning Nearly Five Decades
Mudragada Padmanabha Reddy began his electoral career in 1978 when he was elected as a Janata Party legislator from Prattipadu. His rise in state politics continued after the formation of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) by N.T. Rama Rao in 1982. He joined the newly established party and secured consecutive victories in the 1983 and 1985 Assembly elections from the same constituency.
During his tenure with the TDP, he served as a minister in the N.T. Rama Rao government. However, political differences eventually led him to resign from the Cabinet. He later established the Praja Rakshana Samiti and subsequently became one of the founders of the Telugu Nadu Party alongside K.E. Krishnamurthy and K. Jana Reddy. His political career later took another turn when he joined the Congress, where he once again won an Assembly election and held a ministerial position. Although he contested the 1994 Assembly election, he was defeated and did not return to electoral politics from Prattipadu afterward.
Leading Voice of the Kapu Reservation Movement
Beyond his electoral achievements, Padmanabha Reddy became widely recognised for his leadership in the Kapu reservation movement. He emerged as one of the community’s strongest voices, organising protests and campaigns that demanded reservation benefits for the Kapu community. His efforts placed him at the centre of several major public movements, making him a prominent social and political figure beyond party affiliations.
His association with different political platforms reflected his evolving role in Andhra Pradesh politics. He also spent around four years with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), where he contributed to organisational activities and played a role during the parliamentary election in which actor-turned-politician Krishnam Raju was elected as the Member of Parliament from Kakinada.
Return to Active Politics with YSR Congress
After years of remaining largely outside mainstream electoral politics, Padmanabha Reddy joined the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) on March 15, 2024. He was welcomed into the party in the presence of YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, signalling his return to active political engagement ahead of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections.
His entry into the party attracted significant public attention because of his long political experience and his influence among sections of the Kapu community. Political observers viewed his move as an important development during the election campaign.
Name Change Following Election Promise
One of the most widely discussed moments of the 2024 election campaign involved a public pledge made by Padmanabha Reddy regarding Jana Sena Party leader Pawan Kalyan’s electoral prospects in Pithapuram. He had declared that if Pawan Kalyan emerged victorious from the constituency, he would officially change his name to Padmanabha Reddy.
Following Pawan Kalyan’s victory in the Assembly election, he honoured that commitment by legally changing his name through an official gazette notification. The decision drew widespread attention across political circles and became one of the memorable episodes of the election season.
With his passing, Andhra Pradesh loses a leader whose political career included multiple parties, ministerial responsibilities, legislative experience, and sustained involvement in one of the state’s most significant social movements. His contributions to public life and his role in shaping political discourse over several decades are expected to be remembered by supporters and political observers alike.