The Jubilee Hills By-election result is out, and the Congress has secured a sweeping victory. Naveen Yadav defeated his nearest rival, BRS candidate Maganti Sunitha, by more than 25,000 votes.
Maganti Sunitha could not gain a lead in any counting round. This margin is now the highest majority ever recorded in the Jubilee Hills Constituency. The BJP finished a distant third and even lost its deposit. Both the BRS and BJP received fewer votes than they did in the 2023 elections.
This raises the question of what the result means for the Congress and the BRS. For Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, the win brings major relief. Several senior leaders and Ministers did not cooperate with him, believing a loss would force a leadership change that could favour them.
Revanth Reddy handled most of the efforts in the By-election and is naturally set to receive the credit. Seniors may continue their attempts to undermine him, but his stature with the High Command is expected to remain firm.
The result is also a significant boost for the ruling party as it prepares for local polls, especially the GHMC elections. Revanth Reddy has now taken two sitting BRS seats after the 2023 elections, Cantonment and Jubilee Hills. Both fall under the GHMC area, where the Congress failed to win even one seat in 2023, making these victories particularly meaningful.
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Although BRS cadres were active and campaigned energetically in Jubilee Hills, this defeat could demoralise them further. Revanth Reddy is also expected to push harder to weaken the BRS.
The BRS may now reconsider pursuing the disqualification of MLAs who switched sides, as the party is not in a position to face another election soon. The party was more active on Social Media than on the ground until this election, and the leadership seemed to behave as though elections are fought on Twitter. The result should serve as a wake-up call.
KCR must also introspect whether staying confined to the farm house is affecting the party. This election is a reality check for a party that made HYDRAA a major campaign issue, as it is clear HYDRAA enjoys public support.
KTR may also need to rethink the kind of language he has been using against the Chief Minister, as voters seem unhappy with it.
If Revanth Reddy decides to move aggressively and calls for local elections soon, the situation could become very challenging for the BRS.