The by-election for the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency has proven to be a fiercely competitive and unpredictable affair. Both the ruling Congress and the primary opposition, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), have executed highly intensive and comprehensive campaigns, treating the contest as a prestige battle for political dominance in the capital region.
The Congress Campaign: Testing the Government’s Mandate
The Congress party has taken the by-election extremely seriously, leveraging its status as the incumbent to the fullest. The campaign has been positioned as a direct referendum on the government’s performance and its commitment to welfare.
Top Leadership Mobilization: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy spearheaded the effort, personally addressing public meetings across all seven divisions of the constituency. He directly appealed to the electorate, urging them to vote Congress to ensure the uninterrupted continuation of the government’s flagship welfare schemes.
Cabinet-Level Outreach: The entire state cabinet was pressed into service. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud, and other prominent ministers including Tummala Nageswara Rao, Jupally Krishna Rao, Ponnam Prabhakar, P. Srinivasa Reddy, and G. Vivek engaged in extensive micro-campaigning. They toured colonies, conducted corner meetings, and notably, visited individual voters’ houses to personally convince families to support the ruling party.
BRS Strategy: Exposing the “Debt” of Un-kept Promises
The high-octane campaign by the BRS, particularly under the guidance of its working president K. T. Rama Rao (KTR), is seen as the primary reason Congress has been forced to commit such extensive resources.
Aggressive Counter-Narrative: Though often labeled a “social media party” by rivals, the BRS campaign has been arguably more effective and aggressive than both the Congress and the BJP on the ground.
Innovative Messaging: KTR has successfully put the Congress government on the defensive by sharply exposing its alleged failures in delivering key poll promises after two years in power. The “Baaki Card” Strategy: The distribution of “Baaki (Debt) Cards” to every household has been a widely discussed and effective campaign masterstroke. The card provides a detailed accounting of the Congress’s unfulfilled pledges from the previous Assembly election, successfully cornering the ruling party on the issue of accountability.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) remained a distant third force in the high-voltage contest. Despite deploying nearly 40 senior leaders, including Central Ministers, the party’s campaign lacked the impressive visibility and intensity demonstrated by the Congress and BRS.
The Electorate’s Mood: A Photo Finish Contest
The “mood” of the Jubilee Hills constituency remains the most intriguing question for poll analysts. The by-poll has clearly evolved into a high-stakes, two-way battle. Divided Predictions: Election observers are sharply divided. An equal number of analysts predict a victory for the BRS as those who foresee a narrow win for the Congress.
The Betting Market Indicator: Interestingly, traditional poll punters are reported to be giving a slight edge to the Congress candidate, suggesting the ruling party’s concerted effort may be marginally swaying public sentiment in the final hours.
Editor, Prime Post
Ravindra Seshu Amaravadi, is a senior journalist with 38 years of experience in Telugu, English news papers and electronic media. He worked in Udayam as a sub-editor and reporter. Later, he was associated with Andhra Pradesh Times, Gemini news, Deccan Chronicle, HMTV and The Hans India. Earlier, he was involved in the research work of All India Kisan Sabha on suicides of cotton farmers. In Deccan Chronicle, he exposed the problems of subabul and chilli farmers and malpractices that took place in various government departments.
I feel that fight is only between Congress (Ruling Party) and BRS (Opposition Party). Chances are more for BRS to win the battle in Jubilee Hills Bye Election as people in Telangana express their dissatisfaction over A. Revanth Reddy Government as failed in implementing election manifesto. TSRTC running losses as free journey given to female travellers. Other transport system paralysed due to this. People are unhappy.