Telangana: Transwoman MLA Candidate Chandramukhi Missing for over 24 hours, Supporters to Protest at EC Office

Chandramukhi Muvvala, a 32-year-old transwoman activist who is contesting the Telangana Assembly elections as a candidate of the Bahujan Left Front (BLF) in Goshamahal constituency, has been missing since Tuesday (November 27) early morning.

“More than 24 hours have passed and the state police have no clue of her whereabouts. We will hold a protest in front of the Election Commission office in Hyderabad until Chandramukhi is traced,” Sonam Rathod, Chandramukhi’s daughter told NewsClick.

“It is obvious that the opponents contesting in Goshamahal constituency are threatened by Chandramukhi owing to her clarity on issues of state and welfare of citizens,” transgender rights activist Karthik Bittu Kondaiah told NewsClick. Kondaiah added that Chandramukhi’s supporters and Telangana Hijra Intersex Transgender Samiti are demanding “the searching of all the homes of Goshamahal constituency contestants and the homes of their related associates on a war footing.”

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Chandramukhi is pitted against controversial BJP candidate T Raja Singh, TRS candidate Prem Singh Rathod and Congress’s Mukesh Goud. Her last round of campaign had kicked off just one day before she went missing. She is the only transgender candidate contesting in the state elections.

As per the complaint filed by Chandramukhi’s daughter Sonam Rathod with the Banjara Hills police station at 4:30 PM on November 27, the MLA contestant has been missing since 8 AM and her phone has been switched off. The complaint stated that her neighbours claimed to have seen two suspected people around 4 AM yesterday in Indira Nagar, where her home is located.

Hyderabad Police have registered a missing case and an FIR has also been registered.

“Her decision to contest was one which she felt would help the entire community. We fear for her safety and condemn the lack of safety measures organised for her and for other women and transgender candidates. This lack of security acts as a strong force that dissuades transgender persons and women from joining politics,” Kondaiah told NewsClick.

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

Meanwhile, transgender activists across the country have launched a social media campaign and have decided to take the matter to the Election Commission of India and National Commission for Women.

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