No luck in MLA-MP polls: Neelam Madhu now pins hope on municipal elections

Congress leader Neelam Madhu has fielded his wife Kavitha in the Isnapur municipal elections after switching parties multiple times. Eyeing the 2028 Assembly polls, he hopes to remain politically relevant through the civic contest

Sangareddy: Congress leader Neelam Madhu, known for switching political parties in pursuit of electoral success, is now trying his luck in the municipal elections. This time, he is not contesting directly but has fielded his wife, Kavitha, from the 4th ward of Isnapur municipality, which was recently created after the merger of Chitkul village, Madhu’s native place.

Madhu, who was associated with the BRS since the party’s foundation, won as sarpanch of Chitkul in 2019. He later began consolidating his political base with the ambition of emerging as a contender for the MLA seat. However, when the BRS leadership decided to field sitting MLA Gudem Mahipal Reddy again in the 2023 Assembly elections, Madhu switched to the Congress. Within a month, he quit after the party also denied him a ticket.

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He then contested as a BSP candidate from the Patancheru constituency but finished a distant third. Later, he returned to the Congress and contested from the Medak Lok Sabha constituency, where he suffered defeat but secured second place. Since then, he has been seeking a nominated post in the Congress government, but his efforts did not yield results.

With an eye on the 2028 Assembly elections, Madhu has decided to stay in the political limelight by backing his wife for the municipal chairperson post in Isnapur, which has nearly 40,000 voters. As the chairperson post is reserved for general women, he fielded Kavitha after receiving assurances from the party leadership. He is now focusing on securing a majority of wards, though he faces stiff opposition from the BRS. February 13 will reveal whether his efforts bear fruit.