At the centre of the controversy is a poster claimed to have been created by the BRS that sarcastically lists Congress’s “six guarantees” for Jubilee Hills, parodying the Congress’s successful 2023 Assembly election promises that helped it return to power.
Published Oct 27, 2025 | 7:49 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 27, 2025 | 7:49 PM
Telangana BJP President N Ramachander Rao showcased the poster at a campaign event.(X)
Synopsis: The Telangana unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party has found itself accused of appropriating a campaign poster originally created by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi for its Jubilee Hills bypoll campaign, prompting ridicule. The poster, which mocks Congress’s “six guarantees” by portraying them as rewards for rowdy-sheeters, was showcased by state BJP chief N Ramachander Rao as a party initiative, before the BRS pointed out that it had released the same design several days earlier.
As the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency gears up for its high-stakes bypoll on 11 November, the Telangana unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has found itself in an embarrassing situation after seemingly being caught plagiarising a campaign poster from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
The poster in question satirically targets the ruling Congress, leading to accusations that the BJP lacks originality and drawing sharp criticism from rivals and netizens alike.
The bypoll, necessitated by the resignation of sitting BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath, has intensified political activity in Jubilee Hills, one of Hyderabad’s most prominent constituencies.
The three major contenders—Congress, BRS and BJP—have launched aggressive campaigns, each seeking to outmanoeuvre the others by highlighting their opponents’ weaknesses. With the stakes high, all parties are leaving nothing to chance, deploying significant resources to sway voters in this affluent urban constituency.
At the centre of the controversy is a poster claimed to have been created by the BRS that sarcastically lists Congress’s “six guarantees” for Jubilee Hills, parodying the Congress’s successful 2023 Assembly election promises that helped it return to power.
The manifesto-style poster claims that a Congress victory would lead to:
The poster is intended as a biting critique of what the BRS describes as Congress’s soft stance on law and order.
In a baffling move, Telangana BJP President N Ramachander Rao showcased this poster at a campaign event, presenting it as a BJP initiative to “expose” Congress’s supposed agenda.
“This is Congress’s manifesto for Jubilee Hills,” Rao declared, accusing the ruling party of fostering lawlessness, encouraging gun culture, and colluding with the Majlis-e-Ittehad Muslimeen (MIM).
He alleged that Congress’s candidate has a criminal past and warned that a Congress win would lead to rampant land-grabbing and disorder. Rao clarified that the poster was his party’s “satirical critique” meant to raise public awareness about Congress’s governance failures.
The BRS was quick to lash out at the BJP for appropriating its campaign material. Party leaders ridiculed N Ramachander Rao, with one social media post quipping, “Nakal marne ke liye bhi akal chahiye” (Even copying requires brains), suggesting that the BJP lacks the creativity to craft its own narrative.
The official BRS handle on X posted that the same poster had been released by the party five days earlier. Social media soon erupted with memes and satirical posts, amplifying the BJP’s embarrassment.
Many questioned how the state leadership of a national party could commit such an obvious blunder, with some calling it a “shocking commentary” on the BJP’s campaign strategy in a constituency known for its educated and discerning electorate.
Coincidentally, the Election Commission has directed the police to register bind-over cases against China Srisailam Yadav, father of Congress candidate Naveen Yadav, and 100 rowdy-sheeters.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
