The upcoming assembly by-election in the Jubilee Hills constituency of Hyderabad is no ordinary contest. It has all the trappings of a prestigious poll battle involving high stakes for all the two main contenders—Congress and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
Being the first major poll battle after last year’s general elections, the by-poll will serve as a crucial test for the ruling Congress which is keen to establish its political dominance in the city, considered its weak area so far.
The assembly seat is held by the BRS which had put up a strong showing in urban areas, particularly Hyderabad and its surroundings, in the previous assembly elections. The by-poll was necessitated following the death of sitting BRS lawmaker Maganti Gopinath on June 8 this year.
The Election Commission is expected to issue the notification for the by-election by the end of this month, synchronising it with the Bihar Assembly election schedule. With the final voter list due for release in the third week of September, officials indicated that the polling could be held around Diwali. The results are likely to be declared in the first week of November.
The outcome will be closely watched as it could significantly impact the course of Telangana politics in the coming months.
For the BRS, Jubilee Hills is a key part of its stronghold in Greater Hyderabad. In the November 2023 assembly elections, the BRS swept nearly all the seats in the capital city, and losing Jubilee Hills would be a significant blow to the party's narrative of being the dominant force in the urban areas.
Out of 24 assembly constituencies falling under the GHMC limits, the BRS had won 16 seats, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) seven seats and the BJP had won one seat. The Congress could not win even a single seat then.
The BRS is reportedly planning to field Maganti Sunitha, the late MLA's wife, hoping to leverage a sympathy wave and capitalise on the goodwill for her husband.
This strategy, however, has had mixed results for the BRS in the past, as seen in the Secunderabad Cantonment by-poll where they lost despite a similar approach.
The BRS is also highlighting its development initiatives during its time in power to counter the Congress's campaign.
The election will be a test of BRS's organisational strength and its ability to mobilise its cadre without being in power. The regional party is currently going through an internal crisis following the exit of the patriarch K Chandrashekhar Rao’s daughter K Kavitha who raised a banner of revolt, accusing her cousins—former minister T Harish Rao and former Rajya Sabha MP Santosh Rao—of massive corruption and betrayal. Both are close confidants of KCR and form his inner circle of aides whom she dubbed as a ‘ring of devils’.
Also read: Caught in a swirling family crisis, BRS on a downhill path
The ghosts of the pasts are also haunting the party that once dominated the state politics for over a decade before losing power in the November 2023 assembly polls.
Recent developments like disclosure of the Justice PC Ghose Commission report on the irregularities in Kaleshwaram project, the exposure of alleged telephone tapping scandal and the ACB inquiry into the Formula-E car race scam caused a big setback to the BRS, denting the party’s image.
The by-election presents an opportunity for the Congress to establish a foothold in Hyderabad, a region where its representation has been historically weak. The party's victory in the recent Secunderabad Cantonment by-poll has given it a much-needed boost and the confidence to challenge the BRS in what was considered its urban bastion.
A win in Jubilee Hills would further solidify the Congress's position and send a strong message ahead of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections.
The Congress is reportedly considering fielding a prominent leader to appeal to the significant Andhra population in the constituency. With no minister from Greater Hyderabad in the current cabinet, a victory could also secure a cabinet berth for the winning candidate, which would be a major incentive.
The party is also banking on its welfare schemes and is reportedly conducting surveys to gauge public sentiment and the effectiveness of its promises.
The by-poll takes place against the backdrop of the ongoing disqualification petitions filed by the BRS against 10 of its MLAs who have defected to the Congress. The BRS has accused these legislators of violating the anti-defection law, and the Supreme Court has directed the Assembly Speaker to decide on the petitions within three months.
This adds another layer of complexity and high stakes to the Jubilee Hills contest. For the BRS, a victory would not only help it retain the seat but also reinforce its position in the ongoing legal battle, showing that the defectors do not have the public's support.
For the Congress, a win would demonstrate that its influence is growing and that the party is a viable alternative even in the BRS's traditional strongholds, regardless of the outcome of the disqualification pleas.
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