Failing to prevent Pawan’s victory, ‘Mudragada Padmanabham’ to become ‘Padmanabha Reddy’

Pithapuram: Accepting his defeat against Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan, senior Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham announced he would change his name to ‘Padmanabha Reddy’ after he lost his challenge. Pawan Kalyan won in Pithapuram with a whopping majority of 70,279 votes over YSRCP candidate Vanga Geetha.

Mudragada Padmanabham has filed his forms for gazette publication on the name change and has requested that people refer to him as Padmanabha Reddy from now on.

What was the name challenge?

The senior Kapu leader, during a press meet, issued a challenge to Pawan Kalyan that he would change his name from ‘Padmanabham’ to ‘Padmanabha Reddy’ if he failed to ensure the defeat of Pawan Kalyan.

The change of surname is a prestigious aspect, especially for this Kapu patriarch from East Godavari district which is a dominant Kapu region. This senior leader has been spearheading a campaign for the last three decades seeking the inclusion of Kapus and their sub-castes into the list of Other Backward Classes.

“I have been constantly trolled particularly being referred to as ‘Upma Padmanabham’. We have a tradition for generations to offer tiffin and coffee to visitors. That is a way of showing hospitality to those who visit our home. One cannot call me in that way. In that case, ask your favourite leader to offer Pulao every day and call him Pulao Pawan Kalyan,” said Mudragada in a video statement.

He further made it clear that he will continue his political journey alongside YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Who is Mudragada?

Mudragada is a prominent face of the Kapu community, a predominant community in the East Godavari district. For the last three decades, he has been spearheading a campaign for the inclusion of Kapus and their sub-castes into the list of Other Backward Classes. He joined the YSRCP recently.

He was a four-time MLA, one-time MP and minister in the Telugu Desam Party and Indian National Congress governments. He started his political career as Janata Party MLA in 1978. Later, when NT Rama Rao started the Telugu Desam Party in 1982, he joined and won both the 1983 and 1985 elections from Prattipadu Assembly constituency in East Godavari District.

He later formed a new party and lost as an MLA. Later in 1999, he represented TDP in the Lok Sabha from Kakinada and then lost in 2004 elections from the same constituency.

He joined the YSRCP in 2024 just before the Andhra Pradesh elections 2024.

Fight between father-daughter

Ever since Mudragada joined the YSRCP, his daughter Kranthi was against his views and supported Pawan Kalyan. Kranthi had engaged in a verbal duel with her father supporting Pawan Kalyan.

“Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is disparaging Pawan Kalyan through my father. After the elections are completed, I have no doubt that YS Jagan will abandon my father. I vehemently disagree with my father’s statements and will support Pawan Kalyan,” said Kranthi in a video statement.

“My father vowed to defeat Pawan Kalyan and expel him from Pithapuram as part of the challenge. My father even wanted to alter his name from ‘Padmanabham’ to ‘Mudragada Padmanabha Reddy’, but I didn’t understand why. What was he hoping to achieve with these comments? My father’s supporters are not endorsing him for his disparaging words on the Jana Sena chief,” Kranthi said earlier.

However, of all this, sources said when Kranthi wished to join the Jana Sena Party, Pawan Kalyan did not accept and asked to join the party only if his father who is a senior leader wished to join the party.