Telangana Assembly pays homage to late BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath

Hyderabad, Aug 30 (PTI) The Telangana Legislative Assembly on Saturday paid rich tributes to the late BRS MLA from Jubilee Hills, Maganti Gopinath, who died in June this year following a heart attack.

The monsoon session of the Assembly began on Saturday with Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy moving a motion to condole the demise of Gopinath. CM recalled Gopinath's political journey, which began as a member of TDP.

Gopinath, who was an ardent fan of TDP founder N T Rama Rao, had served as president of TDP's Youth Wing and as director of Hyderabad Urban Development Authority, he said.

Gopinath had also produced several good films, he said.

Recalling that Gopinath was his good friend, Revanth Reddy said his friendship with the departed MLA continued, though there was a change in his political policies (a reference to Gopinath joining BRS in 2016).

Gopinath's demise is a big loss not only to his family members but to the voters of Jubilee Hills constituency, he said.

Legislative Affairs Minister D Sridhar Babu, Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, and Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao also paid homage to Gopinath.

BRS Working President and MLA K T Rama Rao said that though Jubilee Hills is known as a posh locality, the constituency also comprises slums. Gopinath had endeared himself to the voters, he said.

It was Gopinath who started the culture of erecting cut-outs in Hyderabad, as he used to install cut-outs of NTR in front of the secretariat in the 1980s, Rama Rao said.

Several BRS MLAs, including Vemula Prashant Reddy and Mutha Gopal, also spoke on the occasion. Later, Speaker G Prasad Kumar adjourned the house until Sunday.

Gopinath, who defeated Congress leader and former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin in the 2023 assembly polls, died on June 8 while undergoing treatment at a super-specialty hospital following a massive heart attack. PTI SJR SJR ADB