The Congress party won the Jubilee Hills Assembly by-election in Hyderabad, with candidate V Naveen Yadav defeating BRS candidate Maganti Sunitha by 24,729 votes. Yadav secured 98,988 votes, while Sunitha received 74,259 votes. BJP's Deepak Reddy Lankala came third with 17,061 votes. The by-election was viewed as a crucial test for Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy's leadership and the Congress government's popularity. The contest turned into a high-stakes battle involving CM Reddy, BRS working president K T Rama Rao, and Union minister G Kishan Reddy. The victory is significant as Congress successfully consolidated Muslim votes, who constitute over 1.4 lakh of the constituency's 4 lakh voters. The party received backing from AIMIM and recently inducted former cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin as Minority Welfare Minister. This win strengthens Congress prospects ahead of upcoming urban local body elections.
Congress Victory Built on Strategic Muslim Voter Support
The Congress success in Jubilee Hills stemmed largely from consolidating Muslim votes, which make up over 1.4 lakh of the constituency's 4 lakh voters. The party secured support from Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM and strengthened its outreach by appointing Mohammed Azharuddin, former Indian cricket captain, as Minority Welfare Minister. State party president B Mahesh Kumar Goud explained the strategy focused on taking all communities along. In Muslim-majority areas like Erragada, Vengalrao Nagar, and Rehmat Nagar, Congress performed strongly. Additionally, the government's welfare schemes, including providing 6 kg of fine rice to each poor family, resonated with voters. About 2.4 lakh beneficiaries in Jubilee Hills received this support, contributing to the party's electoral success.
Source: Link