Jubilee Hills in the Greater Hyderabad area goes to the polls on November 11
AIMIM is supporting the Congress candidate, where 30 per cent of the electorate are Muslims
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy needs a win in Jubilee Hills to reaffirm his authority within the party and assert control over his cabinet.
The descent and camping of leaders—from Union ministers to state ministers, party heads, and senior functionaries—made an otherwise inconsequential by-election in Telangana the cynosure of all political attention. A high-decibel campaign, often turning acrimonious and tinged with communal overtones, transformed the contest into one of the most significant political events in recent times.
For Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, a victory in the Jubilee Hills constituency—currently held by the BRS—has become a matter of prestige. For the BRS, beset by internal turmoil following party supremo K. Chandrashekar Rao’s decision to expel his daughter K. Kavitha, retaining the seat is of paramount importance. The BJP, meanwhile, views an impressive performance here as crucial to establishing itself as the principal challenger to the Congress government. Beyond these political stakes, the campaign has been marked by a barrage of sharp rhetoric and below-the-belt innuendos, adding both colour and intensity to the contest.
As the campaign draws to a close, Congress has made overt attempts to consolidate the minority vote. The BJP has made an open call for Hindu unity. These moves have lent the contest a distinctly communal hue. The opposition seized upon Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s controversial remark that “Congress means Muslims, and Muslims mean Congress.” They branded it an act of appeasement aimed at shoring up minority support.
Azharuddin’s Cabinet Innings
Leaving nothing to chance, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy inducted former cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin into his cabinet right before the by-election. This was widely seen as an attempt to consolidate minority support. Azharuddin contested the 2023 Assembly election in Jubilee Hills for Congress but lost to BRS’s Maganti Gopinath by over 16,000 votes. Gopinath’s death led to this by-election. The BRS nominated his widow, Maganti Sunitha. The BJP again fielded Lankala Deepak Reddy, who got 25,866 votes last time. Congress has not won this seat since 2009.
The by-election comes at a crucial juncture for Congress, as its government completes two years. The party’s campaign leans heavily on its welfare record from this period. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has camped in the constituency almost daily, using every stage to promote his government’s welfare agenda. He especially highlights schemes for women and marginalised sections. Recently, he cited a Rs 21,000-crore farm loan waiver and recruitment of 60,000 government jobs as proof of his commitment to inclusive governance. He has also tasked every minister with booth-level coordination and campaign oversight to maximise the party’s outreach.
The BJP has called the Congress candidate an “outsourced nominee” of the AIMIM. Naveen Yadav, contesting as a Congress candidate, was AIMIM's pick in 2014 and ran as an independent in 2018. AIMIM now supports him in this by-election, and the BJP wants to exploit this. BJP spokesperson N.V. Subhash told Outlook, “If Congress wanted to project Muslim political empowerment, they should have fielded Mohammed Azharuddin. This understanding with AIMIM will cost them dearly.” He added, “This by-election is a fight between the BJP and all others. The government’s bogus welfare claims will get a body blow in this contest,” expressing confidence about the party’s prospects.
BJP Eyes BRS- AIMIM’s Place As Opposition
The BJP wants to replace BRS and become the opposition in Telangana. For this, the Jubilee Hills by-election is strategically important. Yet, even staunch critics hesitate to write off the BRS. “The BRS is going through a tough phase, but the leadership handled the Kavitha episode without major fallout. They remain in the game, and a timely victory here could help them reclaim lost ground,” says a senior journalist tracking the poll.
Even in the 2023 Assembly elections, when the BRS was voted out of power, it retained its dominance in Greater Hyderabad, winning 16 of the 24 Assembly segments in the region. The AIMIM retained its seven seats, while the BJP won just one. The Congress, despite forming the government at the state level, failed to secure a single seat in the Greater Hyderabad area — a telling reminder of its weak urban presence and limited influence among the city’s heterogeneous electorate.
This urban deficit makes the Jubilee Hills by-election crucial for Congress. A win would show that the party is starting to breach the urban strongholds of the BRS-AIMIM combine. A defeat would reinforce the perception that Revanth Reddy’s appeal is confined mainly to rural Telangana.
Amid Dissent Rumours, Congress Needs The Jubilee Hills Win
For Congress, the Jubilee Hills by-election is critical. For Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, it carries enormous personal stakes. A win would endorse his leadership and strengthen his position amid growing unease within the cabinet and party. There are murmurs of dissent, with several ministers reportedly unhappy with Revanth’s assertive style and his tight control over decisions.
Rumours of a cabinet reshuffle have further intensified internal churn. Party insiders say the Congress High Command is considering inducting Pradesh Congress Committee president Mahesh Kumar Goud into the cabinet. This move is seen as balancing power between the organisation and government. However, the proposal reportedly does not sit well with Revanth Reddy. He fears Mahesh Goud’s inclusion could dilute his authority and shift the balance within Telangana Congress.
The situation worsened when Endowments Minister Konda Surekha publicly lashed out at the Chief Minister and some cabinet colleagues. This happened after her Officer on Special Duty was arrested on corruption charges. The episode exposed simmering resentment within the government and gave the opposition fresh ammunition to question Revanth’s grip over his ministers.
Beyond Jubilee Hills Lies Political Legitimacy For Reddy
Against this backdrop, the Jubilee Hills by-election has acquired dimensions far beyond a mere contest for one Assembly seat. For Revanth Reddy, it is a battle for political legitimacy — a chance to silence his detractors, consolidate his authority, and demonstrate to the Congress High Command that his leadership remains unchallenged in Telangana. A victory here would allow him to assert his dominance during the expected cabinet reshuffle, while a setback could embolden internal rivals and weaken his standing both within the state and in Delhi.
Congress leaders spoke to Outlook, admitting the enormous importance this bye-election has for the party and the government.
“The fight is between the welfare policies of the government and BRS, which is losing its political significance in Telangana. There is a concerted attempt by several vested-interest groups to spread canards about the internal fight within the party and the government. All this false propaganda will be laid to rest when the election results are out,” Dr Adanki Dayakar, Congress leader and MLC.
Nearly one-third of the Jubilee Hills electorate are Muslims, and another third belong to various OBC communities. The by-election outcome will be a barometer for these key social blocs. Both groups are central to Congress’s social justice plank. The result will reflect the public’s response to Revanth Reddy’s welfare-driven governance and show whether his outreach to these communities is working.
