Transwoman MLA Candidate In Upcoming Telangana Polls Missing

Chandramukhi Muvvala, the transwoman activist contesting the upcoming Telangana state assembly elections from the Goshamahal constituency as a candidate of the Bahujan Left Front (BLF) has gone missing since 8.25 am on Tuesday from her house. A missing person FIR has been filed at the Banjara Hills police station and the police have found CCTV footage which they are now reviewing.

“She went to sleep at 5 am, and asked someone to wake her up at 7 am. The last call she received was at 8.17 am, and her phone had gone off somewhere at Yaramanzil Colony, 2-3 km from her residence in Banjara Hills. She was noticed missing since 8.25 am and the door of her house is locked from the outside,” the Banjara Hills SHO said.

Telangana Hijra Samithi—comprising of other trans people who helped her in campaigning, released a statement saying that they have failed in locating her all day. The Samithi fears that someone has kidnapped her.

Chandramukhi, who is a famous personality in Hyderabad’s trans-community, resolved to stand in this year’s assembly elections and took on big names like BJP’s Raja Singh and Congress’ Mukesh Goud. The first and only transwoman candidate started campaigning on Monday morning and returned home late at night. Sources said that on Tuesday morning she left her home along with a few men.

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“As an activist with Telangana Hijra Intersex Transgender Samiti, Chandramukhi had strongly protested against atrocities upon members of the transgender and hijra communities, and had always been an outspoken voice at many rallies and public events upholding the self-respect of transgender people,” added the statement, The Wire reported.

As an activist with Telangana Hijra Intersex Transgender Samiti, Chandramukhi had strongly protested against atrocities upon members of the transgender and hijra communities, and had always been an outspoken voice at many rallies and public events upholding the self-respect of transgender people.

Vinu, who works to schedule the campaign, told the press that Chandramukhi would inform him about her goings on and meetings. “We approached the police only at 2.30 pm. We waited, hoping she would come back by then,” he said. He revealed that a person in a white SUV was seen lurking around the vicinity of her house in the CCTV footage and alleged that he might have something to do with Chandramukhi’s disappearance.

Her mother Anitha Muvvala said that she spoke to her around 8 and 9 pm on Monday. “We talked about how the campaign was going and she told me she was happy with the way things were progressing,” Anitha said.

The Samithi said in the statement that Chandramukhi’s motive to stand in the elections is to help the entire community, it fears for her safety and “condemned the lack of safety measures organized for her and for other women and transgender candidates.” The lack of security acts as a strong force dissuading transgender persons and women from joining politics, the Samithi said.

The voting is set to begin on December 7 and the results will be announced on December 11.

Picture credit: The National Herald

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