A promising career cut short

MLA Lasya Nanditha struck a chord across age groups through her work

Hyderabad: As ambulance sirens echoed in the streets of Gruhalakshmi Colony on Friday afternoon, a wave of sadness had once again engulfed the residence of late Secunderabad Cantonment MLA Sayanna. Making their way through a crowd with tears rolling down their cheeks, his family approached the van. Letting out a piercing scream, his wife Geeta wept profusely, this time grieving the demise of her daughter.

Just four days after commemorating his first death anniversary, the mortal remains of Sayanna’s daughter MLA Lasya Nanditha were brought home. A sense of profound loss hung in the air, as shocked relatives, BRS party leaders and workers and her friends made their way to the residence in Karkhana.

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The sudden demise was a cruel joke for many, as ardent friends, relatives and followers, who in December had joyfully lifted her on their shoulders and danced to the tunes of ‘Teen Maar’ to celebrate her victory in the recently held Assembly elections, now found themselves carrying her lifeless body out of the ambulance on those very shoulders.

As they moved the body out of the ambulance, the huge pink banner congratulating her on becoming one of the youngest MLAs in Telangana, put up at the residence to celebrate her victory, stood tall as a bittersweet testament to the hopes and dreams that now lay shattered.

Passing through the barricades posted meters away from her home, groups of people thronged the lane hoping to get one last glimpse of their beloved leader. Among them were young women who drew inspiration from their ‘Lasya Akka’.

“She lived a daring life and was fearless. It is a loss that she left us so early,” said an elderly woman, wiping her tears with the corner of her saree. Also present to pay their condolences were prominent female politicians and corporators in the city who worked with her in the past.

Being the only female MLA in Hyderabad district at the young age of 37, Lasya Nanditha touched many lives through her work. Known as a dynamic leader who had a promising career ahead, her life being tragically cut short is a loss not just for her party Bharat Rashtra Samithi, but also for the people of Hyderabad and Telangana.