Kapu stalwart Mudragada Padmanabham passed away at 73. He led Andhra Pradesh’s longest social movement demanding Backward Class status for the Kapu community.
Key Takeaways
- Mudragada Padmanabham died at the age of 73.
- He spearheaded a decades‑long fight for Kapu Backward Class status.
- His political career spanned multiple parties, legislative roles, a parliamentary seat and a cabinet ministry.
Veteran Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham succumbed to a prolonged illness on 14 July 2026 at a private hospital in Hyderabad. He was 73 years old and is survived by two sons and a daughter. His death sent a wave of mourning through his native village of Kirlampudi in the erstwhile East Godavari district.
Early Life and Accidental Entry into Politics
Born in 1953 into a revenue‑officer (munshi) family in Kirlampudi, Padmanabham’s political journey began unexpectedly when two‑time MLA Veera Raghava Rao passed away, prompting him to inherit his father’s political mantle. This sudden transition thrust him into the volatile arena of Andhra Pradesh politics.
Multi‑Party Career and Government Service
Initially a member of the Janata Party, Padmanabham switched allegiance when actor‑turned‑politician N.T. Rama Rao founded the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). He won the Prathipadu assembly seat in 1983, 1985 and 1989, and served as a cabinet minister in N.T.R.’s government. Between 1995 and 1999 he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), returned to TDP in 1999 to become the Kakinada Member of Parliament, and later entered the Indian National Congress. This eclectic party‑hopping underscored his pragmatic approach to regional politics.
Kapu Backward Class Movement
On 31 January 2016, Padmanabham launched the “Kapu Garjana” movement, accusing the N. Chandrababu Naidu‑led administration of reneging on its 2014 election promise to grant BC status to Kapus. Protesters set fire to the Ratnachal Express near Tuni railway station after blocking National Highway‑16, leading to a criminal case filed by Indian Railways that remains under trial. In 2020, disillusioned by attacks from within his own community on social media and television, Padmanabham penned an open letter withdrawing from the movement, citing personal health and financial losses incurred during the struggle.
Final Years and Legacy
In March 2024 Padmanabham re‑joined the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP). Ahead of the 2024 elections he vowed to add “Reddy” to his name if Jana Sena Party chief K. Pawan Kalyan won the Pithapuram seat – a promise fulfilled when Kalyan secured the constituency, prompting Padmanabham to adopt the name Mudragada Padmanabham Reddy on 20 June 2024. His passing prompted an outpouring of grief from Kapu leaders who gathered in Kirlampudi to pay their respects. Padmanabham’s relentless advocacy for caste‑based reservation, coupled with his varied political affiliations, leaves a complex legacy that continues to shape Andhra Pradesh’s social and political discourse.