In the Chandrayangutta constituency in Hyderabad, there is a lack of prominent opposition candidates for voters to choose from. The aspiring candidates, Syed Shehzadi from the BJP and Esa Bin Misri from the Congress, are inexperienced in big-time politics and voters are skeptical of them. The ruling BRS party is fielding M Sitharam Reddy as their candidate.
The rival party of the MIM, MBT, only remains a vocal critic. Akbaruddin Owaisi, the party floor leader known for his fiery speeches, might be seeking his sixth term in the upcoming elections. The constituency has a majority of the minority community, making up over 70% of the population. It has been dominated by two political parties, AIMIM and MBT. It is one of the 15 constituencies in the city. In 1994, Amanullah Khan won the Chandrayangutta seat as a rebel MIM candidate who later formed his own party MBT. Akbaruddin has been an MLA since 1999.
Opposition parties blame the Majlis for the lack of development in the constituency, claiming there is no educational growth or national unity. However, Akbaruddin defends his record by pointing out various development works he has initiated, including establishing Basti Dawakhana, schools, flyover projects, road widening, and other projects. He also accuses his rival party MBT of not doing enough when they were in power. Akbaruddin consistently spends his own money on various works, while others only use MLA funds.
Akbaruddin’s strong support among the people of the Old City, particularly in the minority community, gives him a significant advantage in elections. In the 2018 and 2014 elections, he received 68% and 60% of the votes respectively. This makes it challenging for other parties as they have to compete for the remaining votes among themselves. Despite claims by the BJP that the Muslim society in Chandrayangutta is against AIMIM, the love for Majlis among the people brings them to the polling booths in large numbers.
In each election, there are usually a dozen candidates contesting for the segment, including major parties like Congress, BJP, and rival party MBT. However, none have been able to defeat Akbaruddin in the past five terms. In 2018, he won with a total of 95,341 votes and a majority of 80,264 votes.
The Chandrayangutta area is an important hub for Defence Research and Defence Organisation in Telangana. It includes areas such as Chandrayangutta, Barkas, Bandlaguda, Moin Bagh, Jangammet, Rakshapuram, Edi Bazar, Uppuguda, and others.
