Unlike typical bypoll, Jubilee Hills witnesses fierce contest between Cong, BRS, BJP

The November 11 bypoll to the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency is witnessing a fierce contest, unusual for a bypoll, with ruling Congress, the BRS and BJP leaving no stone unturned to win the seat.

The significance assumed by the bypoll is witnessed with Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy taking up a campaign in the constituency for several days, unprecedented for a chief minister to do so in a by-election.

Not only the chief minister, but the ruling Congress has pressed all ministers into the campaign.

Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy, Union MoS (Home) Bandi Sanjay Kumar and senior BRS leaders, including K T Rama Rao, have also been canvassing in the constituency in support of their party candidates almost daily, undertaking 'padayatras', road shows and street corner meetings.

Much is at stake for the three major parties as they battle it out in the triangular contest.

Though the bypoll result would have no bearing on the stability of the Congress government, the outcome would be a reflection on the performance of the Revanth Reddy government.

A loss would make the government vulnerable to attacks from the aggressive BRS and the ambitious BJP.

The byelection is a do-or-die battle for BRS as it drew a blank in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, preceded by its shock defeat in the 2023 Assembly polls.

Moreover, Jubilee Hills was held by BRS until its MLA Maganti Gopinath died in June this year following a heart attack and the failure to retain it would push the party to the margins in state politics.

BJP is keen on winning the bypoll as it aims to emerge as the alternative to Congress in the 2028 Assembly elections.

The BRS has nominated Gopinath's widow Sunita for the bypoll, while the Congress has fielded Naveen Yadav, a local resident, who had earlier contested from Jubilee Hills on behalf of AIMIM.

Congress has inducted former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin into the Council of Ministers recently, which is expected to have a positive impact on the Muslim voters.

The Asaduddin Owaisi-led party extended support to the Congress, which is expected to boost the ruling party's chances.

The BJP candidate L Deepak Reddy had unsuccessfully contested from Jubilee Hills in the 2023 Assembly polls.

Though Jubilee Hills is a posh locality in Hyderabad, the Assembly constituency comprises slums and lower-middle-class localities.

Civic problems, including overflowing drains and stress on urban infrastructure due to increasing population and migrations, plague the residents.

The total number of voters in the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency is 3.99 lakh, comprising 2,07,382 male, 1,91,593 female and 25 transgender voters.

Muslims, with an estimated population of one lakh in the constituency, would play a decisive role in the outcome of the bypoll.

BRS MLC Sravan Dasoju said the people of Jubilee Hills are determined to teach a lesson to the ruling Congress for allegedly betraying them.

''They feel betrayed by Congress for not fulfilling the election promises, destabilising the economy. This sense of betrayal is in all, cutting across religions and communities. I think they are going to teach a lesson to set the government right. Because this defeat to the government will make them come to their senses,'' he told PTI.

Observing that the contest is between BRS and Congress, he said, ''people are missing KCR and also feel vexed with the Congress government'' which will make BRS win hands down.

However, Congress Lok Sabha member Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy said the accessibility of Congress candidate Naveen Yadav and the support of AIMIM, in addition to the government's welfare schemes, would help the party.

''We lost by approximately 17,000 votes last time. AIMIM did not support us last time. Our candidate has his roots in the constituency,'' he told PTI.

Hyderabad has been traditionally in favour of the ruling party, he said.

BJP Chief Spokesperson N V Subhash said the development agenda of the BJP would help the party.

Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy, who is the local Lok Sabha member from Secunderabad, undertook several development measures, including the growth of ESI hospital, renovation of Secunderabad railway station, and improvement of infrastructure in schools, he said.

People would like to give an opportunity to BJP since they had voted for BRS for three terms earlier, he said.

The recent comments of CM Revanth Reddy that 'Congress means Muslims and Muslims mean Congress' would not go down well with the majority community, he added.