In Hyderabad, the Congress Party is determined to win the Jubilee Hills by-election. They have tasked about 20 Corporation chairmen with managing operations at the booth level. Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar, Vivek Venkataswamy, and Thummala Nageshwar Rao will direct the campaign efforts in this area.
During a meeting at Thummala’s home in Jubilee Hills on Wednesday, the PCC (Pradesh Congress Committee) assigned at least seven Corporation chairmen to each minister. Vivek is in charge of a team of eight, while Ponnam and Thummala each manage seven booth-level leaders.
Meanwhile, TPCC general secretary Feroz Khan, who wants to run for Jubilee Hills, has questioned the selection criteria of prioritizing a “local candidate,” as announced by Hyderabad in-charge Minister Ponnam Prabhakar. Khan argued that being “local” should not be the only factor for candidacy. He suggested the ticket should go to a candidate with broad appeal. He pointed out, “Did Rahul Gandhi own a house in Wayanad? Was Priyanka Gandhi born there?”
Khan is pushing hard for his candidacy in Jubilee Hills and opposes the restriction favoring local leaders. He highlighted that Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi are not locals in Wayanad, Kerala, yet they serve as MPs from there. He expressed respect for Ponnam Prabhakar but stated that Ponnam is not the authority to decide on the Jubilee Hills candidate. This came a day after Ponnam’s press conference with Mohammad Azharuddin, who might contest again despite losing the Lok Sabha elections in 2023.
Feroz Khan has run for the Nampally Assembly constituency four times and was defeated, including in the recent elections. Known for his strong stance against AIMIM, he narrowly lost to AIMIM candidate and former Mayor Majid Hussain in the 2023 elections. Khan is actively seeking the Jubilee Hills ticket and is hopeful about his chances in this significant constituency.
