Hyderabad: The Congress is preparing for the Jubilee Hills by-elections, concerned about losing minority votes. To address this, the party plans to organize its Minority Wing by appointing a Chairman and filling member positions, which have been vacant for about two years.
In Jubilee Hills, over 100,000 Muslim voters make up about 33% of the area’s electorate. The Congress hopes to gain support in this key constituency. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has encouraged party members to secure a win, as the party has previously failed to win any seats in Assembly elections. City incharge Ponnam Prabhakar is actively working towards this goal, making frequent visits.
There is competition for the Minority Chairman position, causing some senior members to feel upset about younger candidates being considered. Complaints have been sent to AICC incharge Meenakshi Natarajan. Top contenders for the role include PCC spokesperson Syed Nizamuddin, PI Ahmed Nasir, Indian Youth Congress leader Mohammed Irfan, and Arshad Shaikh from the Greater Hyderabad Congress Committee’s Minority Department.
Muslim party leaders warn that without strong Minority leadership, the party might lose to rivals again. They believe a well-organized Minority Wing is essential for winning seats in GHMC areas. The party’s current understanding with AIMIM could help strengthen its position with a solid candidate and support from Muslim voters. A streamlined Minority Wing could also benefit other upcoming elections in the State.
In the 2023 Assembly polls, former cricketer Azharuddin lost to BRS candidate Maganti Gopinath by 16,337 votes. AIMIM candidate Rashed Farazuddin received 7,848 votes, while BJP’s L Deepak Reddy got 25,866 votes. Azharuddin attributed his loss to vote-splitting by AIMIM. The by-elections are happening due to the death of the current MLA.
