In a remarkable turn of events, Bikumalli Manjula, the mother of Colonel Bikumalla Santosh Babu – one of the 20 soldiers killed in clashes with Chinese troops in Ladakh in June 2020 – is set to make her electoral debut next week. Manjula will contest the Suryapet municipal election on a Bharat Rashtra Samithi ticket, as the hometown of the colonel and his family.
After filing her nomination papers, Manjula expressed appreciation for party boss and ex-Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, commending the state’s significant progress under his leadership. Local body polls are due across Telangana on February 11, with voting to fill approximately 3,000 seats across 123 local bodies, including municipal corporations and municipalities. Results are expected two days later, with mayoral and chairperson elections scheduled for February 16.
In November 2021, Manjula was bestowed the Maha Vir Chakra – the second-highest wartime gallantry honor in India – on behalf of her son, who served as the CO of the 16 Bihar Regiment at the time of his death. The citation praised Colonel Babu for successfully establishing an observation post in the face of enemy forces despite “stiff resistance” and “hostile conditions.” He was injured during the attack but continued to lead his troops with valiance until his last breath, according to the citation.
In June 2021, a year after the tragic incident, a statue of Colonel Babu was unveiled at Suryapet, located about 140 km from Hyderabad, the state capital. The clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers in eastern Ladakh’s Galwan Valley took place in June 2020, resulting in prolonged military tensions along the Line of Actual Control – the de facto border between the two nations. Tensions were eventually defused after months of negotiations.
