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Ahead of civic polls in Telangana, BJP candidate kills self

The BJP state chief has announced Rs 10-lakh financial assistance to Mahadevappa’s family. The urban local body elections will be held on February 11, and the results will be declared on February 13.

Written by: Sreenivas Janyala, Nikhila Henry

4 min readHyderabadUpdated: Feb 11, 2026 04:15 AM IST

The urban local body elections will be held on February 11, and the results will be declared on February 13. (Source: Express Archives)

One day before polling in the Telangana urban local body elections, the suicide of a BJP candidate has led to protests by the party in several parts of the state, including Hyderabad, alleging that the deceased had been facing threats from workers of the ruling Congress party. Scores of BJP leaders and workers were detained on Tuesday when they held a protest outside the office of Telangana’s Director General of Police in Hyderabad and tried to barge their way in.

Early on Tuesday morning, the body of Erukala Mahadevappa (46), a BJP candidate from Ward 6 of Makthal municipality in Narayanapet district, was found. A case of suspicious death under BNSS section 194 has been lodged by the Telangana Police. Narayanpet Superintendent of Police G Vineeth told The Indian Express that there were no complaints of “threat to the deceased prior to the suicide”. The family has said that the deceased was under anxiety about the elections,” the SP said. Whether or not he was under pressure from outside parties, including political leaders, will be investigated in detail, he added.

Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao alleged that local Congress leaders were afraid of the BJP’s growing influence and resorted to threatening BJP candidates with physical harm and dire consequences if they did not withdraw from the race. He claimed, “Mahadevappa’s wife explicitly mentioned that her husband took his own life due to the pressure exerted by local Congress leaders. Despite this, we have information that police at the local station have altered the FIR by noting personal reasons for the suicide. Mahadevappa’s wife is not educated, and taking advantage of this, it appears the police took her signature and registered a false FIR by changing the details without her knowledge.”

Also Read | As Revanth, KTR, BJP brace for acid test, what is at stake in Telangana civic elections

The BJP state chief has announced Rs 10-lakh financial assistance to Mahadevappa’s family. The urban local body elections will be held on February 11, and the results will be declared on February 13.

Ramchander Rao said the deceased, Mahadevappa, was a promising Scheduled Tribe leader, and alleged that he faced “mafia-style intimidation”.

“We performed well in the panchayat elections, which the Congress is unable to digest. They are afraid we will do better in the ULB elections and are threatening our candidates,” Rao said. BJP leaders alleged that supporters of state Sports Minister Vakiti Srihari, the MLA from Makthal, relentlessly harassed Mahadevappa. The party has demanded the dismissal of Srihari from the state Cabinet.

“Reports reaching here suggest that following the success of the BJP rally in Makthal during the municipal elections, leaders of the ruling Congress party resorted to threatening BJP candidates over the phone. Some time ago, Mahadevappa was forcibly draped with a Congress party scarf. It is understood that Mahadevappa committed suicide because he could not withstand these mafia politics and arrogant attitudes,” Rao, who has left for Makthal, alleged.

Echoes in Parliament

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Union minister G Kishan Reddy and Rajya Sabha member Dr K Laxman raised the issue of the death in Parliament. They demanded stern action in the matter. Kishan Reddy said that the suicide was “not merely an isolated incident; it is a chilling indictment of political climate prevailing in Telangana under CM Revanth Reddy and the Congress party”. He said that Mahadevappa came from a Scheduled Tribe background and “had the courage to step forward and contest the election”.

Sreenivas Janyala

Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance. Expertise and Experience Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues: High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy. Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules. Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes. Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak. Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read More

Nikhila Henry

Nikhila Henry is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Hyderabad. With a career spanning 17 years, she has established herself as an authoritative voice on South Indian affairs, specialising in the complex intersections of politics, education, and social justice. Experience & Career: Nikhila commenced her journalism career in 2007 as an education correspondent for The Times of India in Hyderabad,where she gained recognition for her coverage of student politics. Her professional trajectory includes a four-year tenure at The Hindu, where she focused on minority affairs and social welfare. In 2019, she took on a leadership role as the South Bureau Chief for The Quint, where she directed regional coverage across all five South Indian states. Her expansive career also includes a tenure at the BBC in New Delhi and contributions to prestigious international outlets such as The Sunday Times (London) and HuffPost India. Expertise & Focus Areas Nikhila’s reportage is marked by a deep-seated understanding of grassroots movements and institutional policy. Her core focus areas include: Regional Politics: Comprehensive analysis of the socio-political dynamics across South India. Education & Student Movements: Chronicling the evolution of Indian academics and the rise of youth activism. Minority Affairs: Rigorous reporting on the welfare, rights, and challenges facing marginalized communities. National Beat: Elevating regional stories to national prominence through investigative and on-ground reporting. Authoritativeness & Trust A respected figure in Indian media, Nikhila is not only a seasoned reporter but also an accomplished author and editor. She authored the critically acclaimed book The Ferment: Youth Unrest in India and edited Caste is Not a Rumour, a collection of writings by Rohith Vemula. Her dual background in daily news reporting and long-form authorship allows her to provide readers with a nuanced, historically-informed perspective on contemporary Indian society. Find all stories by Nikhila Henry here. ... Read More

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