The BRS is highlighting its urban development record; Congress is promising continuity in welfare and governance; while BJP is leveraging national themes of growth and reform.
Published Oct 24, 2025 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 24, 2025 | 7:00 AM
Jubilee Hills by-elections. (X)
Synopsis: This seat—known for its blend of plush residential colonies, bustling commercial hubs, and diverse neighbourhoods such as Erragadda, Borabanda, Yousufguda, Vengal Rao Nagar, Rahamat Nagar, and Shaikpet—fell vacant following the sudden demise of sitting BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath on 8 June, 2025, after a heart attack.
The upscale Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency in the heart of Hyderabad is buzzing with political activity as the countdown begins for the crucial by-election scheduled on 11 November.
This seat—known for its blend of plush residential colonies, bustling commercial hubs, and diverse neighbourhoods such as Erragadda, Borabanda, Yousufguda, Vengal Rao Nagar, Rahamat Nagar, and Shaikpet—fell vacant following the sudden demise of sitting BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath on 8 June, 2025, after a heart attack.
Gopinath, a three-time legislator who represented the constituency since 2014, left behind a strong local legacy that his party is now seeking to build upon. What began as a routine by-election has quickly transformed into a prestige contest among Telangana’s key political players — a litmus test for the ruling Congress government’s performance and the opposition’s political muscle.
Three main contenders dominate the field — the Congress, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Each has deployed star campaigners, grassroots workers, and considerable resources in a no-holds-barred effort to win over this urban electorate.
The Congress, led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, has fielded V Naveen Yadav, a young leader with local roots. Yadav, who contested from the same seat in 2014 on an AIMIM ticket, is banking on his familiarity with the area and its voters. The Congress campaign has gone into overdrive, with 40 star campaigners, including Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, and several senior ministers, hitting the campaign trail.
In a strategic move, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has extended full support to Naveen Yadav, urging voters to back the Congress in the interest of “development and stability.” This alliance could decisively swing the minority vote bank, particularly in areas like Borabanda.
The BRS, which held the seat under the late Maganti Gopinath, has nominated his widow, Maganti Sunitha Gopinath, in a bid to harness the sympathy factor.
Party supremo K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) personally announced her candidature, describing it as a gesture of respect toward local sentiment.
The BRS campaign is being spearheaded by its top leaders, including working president K.T. Rama Rao (KTR), and former minister T. Harish Rao. The party has framed the by-election as a referendum on the Congress government, accusing it of administrative failure and misgovernance.
Meanwhile, the BJP is looking to strengthen its urban presence in Telangana. It has fielded Lankala Deepak Reddy, a local businessman with close ties to the party.
The BJP’s campaign has drawn heavyweights like Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, and Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal among its 40 star campaigners.
State leaders including G. Kishan Reddy, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, and Eatala Rajender have been leading the charge with rallies and roadshows, emphasising the BJP’s national governance agenda and corruption-free image under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Adding a dramatic twist, the by-election has attracted an unprecedented 211 candidates, who collectively filed 321 nominations. Among them are several independents — from unemployed youth to farmers affected by the Regional Ring Road (RRR) project — reflecting simmering grassroots discontent.
The multi-layered campaign has intensified in recent weeks, blending traditional methods with digital outreach. Door-to-door canvassing, street-corner meetings, and local rallies have been complemented by social media campaigns featuring videos, infographics, and live updates.
The BRS is highlighting its urban development record; Congress is promising continuity in welfare and governance; while BJP is leveraging national themes of growth and reform.
A lingering sympathy for the late Gopinath adds an emotional undercurrent to the BRS campaign, although KCR is unlikely to campaign extensively in person.
Each party has fine-tuned its messaging to appeal to Jubilee Hills’ diverse and cosmopolitan electorate—an amalgam of professionals, minorities, and lower-income groups.
The BRS has branded the Congress as a “bulldozer sarkar”, accusing it of aggressive demolitions by the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) that allegedly target the poor. KTR has slammed the government over law and order, credibility, and “administrative paralysis,” urging voters to deliver a verdict against the Congress regime.
The BJP, on the other hand, is campaigning on national themes — better governance, anti-corruption, and economic growth — and is appealing particularly to professionals and Hindu voters.
Meanwhile, local issues such as the RRR project’s impact on farmers and youth unemployment have also found resonance, with independent candidates using the poll platform to highlight these grievances.
For the Congress, a win would consolidate its urban foothold following its 2023 Assembly victory and boost morale ahead of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections. For the BRS, the by-poll is critical to reclaim lost ground in its Hyderabad bastion, particularly amid a spate of defections. The BJP, though a late entrant in the state’s urban game, hopes to position itself as a viable third force.
As the campaign enters its final leg, Jubilee Hills y election is not just electing an MLA — it’s shaping the next chapter of Telangana’s political narrative.
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
