Telangana CM Revanth Reddy recalls Maganti Gopinath’s contributions as Assembly passes condolence motion; adjourns session

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
The Telangana Legislative Assembly was adjourned on Saturday (August 30, 2025) after passing a condolence motion on the demise of Jubilee Hills MLA Maganti Gopinath (62) who passed away on June 8, 2025.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who moved the motion on the first day of the sixth session, recalled the late leader’s long political journey as a student leader, describing his death as an irreparable loss to his family and constituency.
Paying tributes, the Chief Minister said Gopinath was active in student politics and began his political career with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1983. He served as the Telugu Yuvata State president of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh from 1985 to 1992. Recognising his services, he was appointed as Director of Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (1987–88) and president of the District Consumer Forum (1988–93).
“A staunch follower of N.T. Rama Rao, Gopinath, who was elected MLA from Jubilee Hills three consecutive times, also produced several films,” Revanth Reddy said, adding that he shard a close bond with Gopinath despite ideological differences.
Bharath Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Sircilla MLA K.T. Rama Rao, speaking in the House, said he never imagined offering condolences to his colleague, whom he described as a committed leader who worked for Jubilee Hills till his last days without disclosing his illness. “Though perceived as a constituency of the rich, Jubilee Hills also has several slums. Gopinath, affectionately called ‘Gopanna’ by the people, always stood by the poor,” KTR said. He recalled how Gopinath introduced the tradition of distributing Bathukamma sarees to young woman and worked tirelessly for weaker sections.
KTR further noted that despite political pressures, Gopinath remained loyal to the BRS and was respected as both a “classy personality” and a “mass leader.”
Ministers Duddilla Sridhar Babu, Tummala Nageswara Rao, Ponnam Prabhakar, BRS MLAs Talasani Srinivas Yadav and Vemula Prashanth Reddy, BJP’s Katipally Venkata Ramana Reddy, and others also paid tributes, remembering Gopinath as a kind soul and a leader with deep connect to the poor.
Published – August 30, 2025 01:30 pm IST
Source: www.thehindu.com