Hyderabad: The ruling Congress on Wednesday, October 7, announced Naveen Yadav as its candidate for the upcoming Jubilee Hills by-election, ending weeks of speculation about its choice. Apart from Yadav, ex-MP Ranjith Reddy was one of the strong contenders from the ruling party, which will now look to win the seat from the main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
The BRS on the other hand had earlier announced Maganti Sunitha, wife of the late BRS ex-MLA from Jubilee Hills Maganti Gopinath. Naveen Yadav’s candidacy is in all likelihood a result of the local support he enjoys in the constituency. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) however has still not announced its candidate for the upcoming by-election, which will be held on November 11.
The upcoming Jubilee Hills by election is going to have high stakes for the ruling Congress which is looking to wrest it from the main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). The bypoll has been necessitated after the late BRS legislator Maganti Gopinath passed away recently. The ruling party here was unable to win any seat in the Greater Hyderabad area in the 2023 state elections and hence winning that will of utmost importance for it.
While the BRS is sitting strong in the Jubilee Hills by election, the party has been currently hit by internal rebellion. K Kavitha, ex-MLC and daughter of BRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), was suspended from the party on September 2 for her criticism of BRS leaders (and her cousin) Harish Rao and Santosh. Kavitha a day later on September 3 then resigned from the BRS and her MLC post.
Azharuddin out way of the way for bypolls
Soon after Gopinath’s death possible names of Congress candidates began floating, including that of ex-Indian cricketer Mohd Azharuddin, who had unsuccessfully contested against Gopinath. To avoid any issues that may arise after not giving him the ticket, Azharuddin was nominated as an MLC under the Governor’s quota by the state government, paving way for the candidacy of a stronger candidate.
The TPCC leader said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may polarise minority votes which may help the main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) to win and hence giving Azharuddin the seat would not be a great idea. “Moreover, locals prefer a person from the area itself. If Azhar loses for a second time his career will be over. He is a celebrity and not a politician,” the Congress leader added.
The AIMIM had supported the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), which won the Jubilee Hills seat, in the December 2023 Assembly polls by putting up a candidate who drew a chunk of Muslim votes which would have otherwise gone to the Congress.
