Andhra Pradesh lost one of its most recognisable political voices on 14 July 2026, when Mudragada Padmanabham — known to millions simply as the leader of the Kapu reservation movement — died at a private hospital in Hyderabad after a prolonged illness. He was 73.

For more than four decades, Padmanabham was a fixture of coastal Andhra politics — a four-time MLA, a one-time Member of Parliament, a minister, and, above all, the man who turned the demand for Kapu reservations into one of the state’s most significant social movements. His death has drawn condolences from leaders across every major political party in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

In 2024, in a move that captured headlines across the state, he legally changed his name to Mudragada Padmanabha Reddy, honouring a public vow tied to the political fortunes of Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan. It became the final high-profile chapter of a long and eventful public life.

Quick Facts About Mudragada Padmanabham

Early Life of Padmanabham

Mudragada Padmanabham was born on 22 January 1953 in Kirlampudi village in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. His father, Veera Raghava Rao, was himself a respected local political figure, twice elected as an independent MLA from Prathipadu, in 1962 and 1967, and popularly known in the region as the ‘Kirlampudi Munsiff.’ Padmanabham completed his schooling in his native village before stepping into public life himself.

Political Career

Early Years and Rise (1977–1989)

Padmanabham began his political journey in 1977–78, winning his first Assembly election from Prathipadu on a Janata Party ticket. When N.T. Rama Rao founded the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1982, Padmanabham joined the new party and went on to win the Prathipadu seat again in 1983, 1985, and 1989, serving as a minister in the TDP government during this period.

Break with TDP and the Kapu Movement

In 1988, the assassination of Congress leader Vangaveeti Mohana Ranga triggered widespread caste violence across coastal Andhra Pradesh. In its aftermath, Padmanabham resigned from the cabinet and eventually parted ways with the TDP. It was during this turbulent period that he emerged as one of the principal faces of the Kapu community’s push for social and political recognition, presiding over the first major Kapunadu conference in Vijayawada.

Over the following decades, he floated his own outfits, including the Praja Rakshana Samithi and Telugu Nadu, and moved between parties — spending time with the BJP between 1995 and 1999 before returning to the TDP and winning the Kakinada Lok Sabha seat in 1999.

The Kapu Reservation Agitation

Padmanabham’s defining legacy was his decades-long campaign demanding that the Kapu community be classified under the Backward Classes (BC) category. His most prominent and consequential agitation came in January 2016, when he led the massive Kapu Garjana Sabha (also referred to as Kapu Aikyagarjana) in Tuni, pressing the Chandrababu Naidu-led government to honour its 2014 election promise on Kapu reservations.

The protest turned violent when some participants attacked the Ratnachal Express near Tuni railway station, setting coaches on fire and blocking National Highway-16, leaving several passengers and police personnel injured. Despite the controversy, the agitation cemented Padmanabham’s standing as the most influential leader of the Kapu reservation cause.

Later Political Life and Name Change (2024)

In March 2024, ahead of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, Padmanabham joined the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP). During the campaign, he publicly vowed that he would change his surname to ‘Reddy’ if Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan won the Pithapuram Assembly seat. Pawan Kalyan went on to win by a margin of over 70,000 votes, and Padmanabham honoured his promise, formally changing his name to Mudragada Padmanabha Reddy through a gazette notification on 20 June 2024 — a symbolic gesture that made national headlines.

Illness and Death

Padmanabham had been in poor health for roughly a year, being treated for respiratory and kidney-related ailments. He was admitted to a private hospital in Hyderabad (reported by several outlets as Sindhu Hospital, in Gachibowli) in mid-June 2026 for treatment of kidney complications. Despite weeks of care, his condition worsened, and he died on the evening of Tuesday, 14 July 2026, at around 6:00–6:15 p.m.

He is survived by his wife, Padmavathi; two sons, Veera Raghava Rao (known as Balu) and Giribabu; and a daughter, Kranthi.

Tributes and Reactions

News of his death drew condolences from across the political spectrum. Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said Padmanabham had consistently fought for public causes as both a legislator and a people’s leader. Andhra Pradesh Governor S. Abdul Nazeer recalled his four terms as MLA and one term as MP. Jana Sena chief and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, along with state ministers Nara Lokesh and Kandula Durgesh, also paid tribute, while former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy of the YSRCP said Padmanabham’s dedicated service to the people would remain an enduring legacy.

Major Milestones

• Elected MLA from Prathipadu — 1978, 1983, 1985, and 1989
• Served as a minister in N.T. Rama Rao’s TDP cabinet
• Elected Member of Parliament from Kakinada — 1999
• Emerged as the principal face of the Kapu reservation movement following the 1988 caste violence
• Presided over the first major Kapunadu conference in Vijayawada
• Led the landmark Kapu Garjana Sabha agitation in Tuni — January 2016
• Joined the YSR Congress Party ahead of the 2024 Assembly elections
• Formally changed his name to Mudragada Padmanabha Reddy — 20 June 2024
• Passed away in Hyderabad — 14 July 2026, aged 73

Family & Personal Life

Padmanabham was married to Padmavathi and is survived by two sons, Veera Raghava Rao (Balu) and Giribabu, and a daughter, Kranthi. His father, Veera Raghava Rao, was a well-known independent legislator in his own right, and political life ran in the family from the very beginning.

Frequently Asked Questions About Mudragada Padmanabham

1. Who was Mudragada Padmanabham?

Mudragada Padmanabham was a veteran Andhra Pradesh politician, four-time MLA, one-time Member of Parliament from Kakinada, and former minister, best known as the most prominent leader of the decades-long Kapu reservation movement.

2. When did Mudragada Padmanabham die?

He died on Tuesday, 14 July 2026, at a private hospital in Hyderabad, after being treated for respiratory and kidney-related ailments. He was 73 years old.

3. Why did Mudragada Padmanabham change his name to Padmanabha Reddy?

During the 2024 Andhra Pradesh Assembly election campaign, he publicly vowed to add ‘Reddy’ to his name if Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan won the Pithapuram seat. After Pawan Kalyan’s victory, Padmanabham kept his word and formally changed his name through a gazette notification on 20 June 2024.

4. What was Mudragada Padmanabham famous for?

He was best known for leading the Kapu community’s long agitation to be included in the Backward Classes (BC) category, most notably through the large-scale Kapu Garjana Sabha protest in Tuni in January 2016.

5. Which political parties was Mudragada Padmanabham associated with?

Over his career he was associated with the Janata Party, the Telugu Desam Party, the BJP, his own outfits Praja Rakshana Samithi and Telugu Nadu, and finally the YSR Congress Party, which he joined in 2024.

6. Who are Mudragada Padmanabham’s family members?

He is survived by his wife, Padmavathi, two sons — Veera Raghava Rao (Balu) and Giribabu — and a daughter, Kranthi.