As the Jubilee Hills By-election heads to polling in a few hours, both BRS and Congress are fighting hard for victory. While BRS is banking on sympathy and anti-incumbency, Revanth Reddy believes that the power advantage will help him win comfortably.
However, this campaign has exposed the growing cracks within the Congress Party. Despite being in power in Telangana, internal conflicts continue to weaken its unity.
Revanth Reddy, a relatively junior leader, rose quickly to become the Chief Minister. But many senior Congress leaders still believe they played a bigger role in the 2023 victory and feel sidelined.
These senior leaders have reportedly shown little cooperation, leaving Revanth to carry the entire campaign burden alone. This means the credit or blame for Jubilee Hills will rest entirely on his shoulders, just as it did during the Assembly polls.
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Even if he retains his post, his political grip will weaken, and BRS will regain strength. A rejuvenated BRS would likely intensify its attacks, while the opposition pushes the Supreme Court to act on pending defection cases.
If the defected MLAs are disqualified, multiple by-elections could follow. A strong BRS performance in those elections could be disastrous for Congress potentially ending Revanth Reddy's dominance.
This by-election is therefore critical for Revanth. In 2023, Congress failed to win a single seat in the GHMC region, a record that KTR would love to maintain.
A loss in Jubilee Hills would sound alarm bells for Congress, especially ahead of upcoming GHMC and local body elections.
The result of the Jubilee Hills By-election will be announced on November 14th, and it could redefine the political future of Telangana.