A pall of gloom has descended over Andhra Pradesh politics as veteran Kapu leader and former minister Mudragada Padmanabham passed away on Tuesday. He had been undergoing treatment at Sindhu Hospital in Hyderabad for the past month, and his health deteriorated before he breathed his last.
Born in 1953 in Kirlampudi of East Godavari district, Mudragada emerged as one of the strongest voices for the Kapu reservation movement. Throughout his political career, he earned the trust of the people by serving six terms as an MLA and one term as a Member of Parliament. He also held key ministerial portfolios and played a significant role in Andhra Pradesh politics.
With his demise, political leaders and supporters say Andhra Pradesh has lost a prominent mass leader and one of the most influential faces of the Kapu movement. Tributes continue to pour in from across the political spectrum as the state remembers his long public service.
