Former Andhra minister Mudragada Padmanabham dies at 73

Mudragada Padmanabham, a senior leader of the YSR Congress Party and a former minister in Andhra Pradesh, has passed away at the age of 73. His family confirmed his death on Tuesday evening while he was receiving treatment for kidney-related issues at a private hospital in Hyderabad.

Padmanabham was widely recognized as the face of the Kapu reservation movement, dedicating more than three decades to advocating for the community's inclusion in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category to secure reservation benefits in education and government jobs. He led numerous agitations, including hunger strikes and statewide protests, throughout his long activism.

His political career began in 1978, and he served four terms as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), two terms as a minister in the undivided Andhra Pradesh government, and one term as a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha. He joined the YSR Congress Party before the 2024 Andhra Pradesh assembly elections. Following the TDP-led coalition's victory, he fulfilled a vow to change his name to Padmanabha Reddy in government records.