As the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency gears up for a high-stakes bypoll following the death of BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath on June 8, political circles are abuzz with talk of a possible ‘friendly fight’ between the ruling Congress and its unofficial ally, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).
The bypoll, expected by December, is shaping up as a critical test for Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s Congress, which is desperate to secure a second seat in Greater Hyderabad after its 2023 Assembly election shutout.
Congress has pinned its hopes on former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin, who announced his candidacy on June 19, citing support from party high command leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi.
Azharuddin, who lost to Gopinath in 2023 by 16,337 votes, remains confident, pointing to the 64,212 votes he secured despite a late ticket allocation. However, party insiders suggest Revanth Reddy is still weighing options, considering caste dynamics and local sentiment in a constituency with a 30% Muslim voter base.
The AIMIM, led by Asaduddin Owaisi, has yet to announce whether it will field a candidate, fueling speculation of a strategic ‘friendly fight’ to consolidate Muslim votes while maintaining its alliance with Congress. In 2023, AIMIM’s candidate, Mohammed Rashed Farazuddin, secured 7,848 votes, a move Azharuddin criticized as splitting Muslim votes to benefit BRS. A senior AIMIM functionary previously told Siasat.com that the party would support Congress in the bypoll, reciprocating Congress’s help in recent MLC elections, though Farazuddin’s 2023 candidacy could still cast a shadow
The 2023 polls saw AIMIM’s strategic contest in Jubilee Hills, despite its ‘friendly’ ties with BRS, which Congress alleged was a ploy to fragment its vote share. Political analysts note that AIMIM’s decision could be pivotal, given Jubilee Hills’ significant Muslim electorate.
The bypoll is a three-way race, with BRS banking on sympathy for Gopinath and BJP eyeing caste-based strategies. Congress has appointed ministers Tummala Nageswara Rao, Ponnam Prabhakar, and Gaddam Vivek to mobilize cadre and recommend candidates, signaling its all-out push.
A Congress win could set the tone for the 2026 GHMC elections, while a loss would dent Revanth Reddy’s urban credibility.