Jubilee Hills by-election: Intense curiosity surrounds candidate selection

With the Jubilee Hills Assembly seat now vacant, political activity is heating up across all parties. The public eagerly awaits the announcement of candidates for what is expected to be a high-stakes by-election.

Minister and senior Congress leader Ponnam Prabhakar Goud made significant comments on Tuesday regarding the party’s selection strategy. He clarified that the Congress will give the ticket only to local leaders, ruling out any chance for non-locals or outsiders from Hyderabad.

“Only those who have worked on the ground in Jubilee Hills will be considered. The party will take everyone’s opinions before finalizing the candidate,” Ponnam stated.

This decision comes amid tough competition within the Congress, with several leaders showing keen interest in contesting from this prestigious urban constituency.

By-Election timeline

The Jubilee Hills seat fell vacant following the death of BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath on June 8. As per the Election Commission’s guidelines, a by-election must be held within six months of the vacancy.

Speculation suggests that polling may be scheduled sometime between September and late October, though the official date is yet to be confirmed. All major political parties are taking the by-election seriously, given the strategic importance of the constituency.

BRS to field Sunitha Gopinath?

The BRS is yet to officially name its candidate, but Maganti Gopinath’s wife, Sunitha, has emerged as a potential nominee. Many believe she may be given the ticket in hopes of garnering sympathy votes following her husband’s untimely demise.

Congress faces a crowd of contenders

Within the Congress, several names are doing the rounds, including: Mohammad Azharuddin, who contested from Jubilee Hills in the previous assembly election and lost, is hopeful of a second chance and has publicly expressed confidence about getting the ticket.

Other contenders include Feroz Khan, Rohin Reddy, and Vijaya Reddy, all of whom are known faces within the party.

BJP and MIM mulling over strategy

From the BJP, Lankala Deepak Reddy, who previously contested from Jubilee Hills, is once again being considered. In addition, the names of Keerthy Reddy, Dr. Padma Veerapaneni, and Bandaru Vijayalakshmi are also being speculated upon.

The AIMIM party has not yet announced its position regarding the by-election. Given the significant minority voter base in Jubilee Hills, clarity is awaited on whether the party will contest independently or align with another political formation. Their decision could reshape the electoral dynamics in a major way.

With no party officially declaring its candidate yet, and internal competition heating up, the Jubilee Hills by-election is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched contests in the Telangana political landscape. All eyes are now on the official announcements in the coming weeks.