With just five days left for the polling in the by-election to Jubilee Hills assembly seat, a major controversy has erupted within the family of late MLA Maganti Gopinath, dealing a severe setback to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), which has fielded his widow, Maganti Sunitha.
On Thursday, Maganti Gopinath’s mother, Mahananda Kumari, made explosive allegations claiming that BRS working president K T Rama Rao was responsible for her son’s death.
She further said she was unaware that her daughter-in-law Maganti Sunitha, the BRS candidate, was contesting the by-poll.
“No one even informed me. Please don’t do injustice to my grandson,” she said, demanding justice for her late son’s child.
The internal family rift threatens to adversely affect the BRS campaign in the high-profile constituency. Political analysts view this as a major blow to the party’s prospects in the upcoming election.
Compounding the controversy, Gopinath’s first wife Malini Devi has formally objected to the issuance of a family certificate in favour of Sunitha. She attended an inquiry conducted by the Serilingampally Tahsildar to contest the certificate.
Meanwhile, Malini Devi’s son Pradyumna has also lodged a complaint with the Election Commission, alleging procedural irregularities.
The BRS leadership reportedly fears that the Maganti family feud could influence voters and hurt the party’s image.
Mahananda Kumari reiterated that her grandson Pradyumna Tarak was the legitimate heir to her late son’s legacy.
The Jubilee Hills by-poll is scheduled for November 11, and counting will take place on November 14.