Congress wins big in Jubilee Hills by-election

The Jubilee Hills Assembly by-election delivered a record-setting mandate for Congress candidate Naveen Yadav, who secured the highest majority ever witnessed in the constituency. From the very first round of counting, he maintained a clear lead, and that advantage continued to widen through all ten rounds. The BJP performed poorly and even lost its deposit. Voter turnout for the by-poll was recorded at 48.49 percent.

In the final results, Naveen Yadav of the Congress secured 98,988 votes, while his closest rival, BRS candidate Maganti Sunitha, received 74,259 votes. BJP’s Lankala Deepak Reddy finished in third place with 17,061 votes, losing his deposit. Congress ultimately registered a massive winning margin of 24,729 votes.

Naveen Yadav’s political journey

Naveen Yadav has been active in politics for more than a decade. He contested from MIM in 2009 for the Yousufguda division but lost to TDP’s Murali Goud. In 2014, he contested from Jubilee Hills on an MIM ticket and finished second. He again contested in 2015 from Rahmathnagar division as an MIM candidate but was defeated. In 2018, he entered the Jubilee Hills Assembly race as an Independent and secured 18,800 votes. He later joined the Congress in 2023 in the presence of then TPCC president Revanth Reddy.

Voting trends and Congress surge

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said that the people of Jubilee Hills delivered a clear and decisive verdict in favour of the Congress. The party’s vote share rose to 51 percent, while the BRS secured 38 percent and the BJP just 8 percent. Congress has shown steady growth in the constituency over recent elections, rising from 39.5 percent in the 2023 Assembly polls to 41 percent in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and now reaching 51 percent in the by-election.

The by-election was necessitated by the sudden passing of BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath in June. Jubilee Hills is considered one of the most prestigious and politically sensitive constituencies in Hyderabad, making this contest highly significant for both the ruling Congress and the opposition BRS.

CM Revanth Reddy: “Victory comes with greater responsibility”

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy expressed his gratitude to the voters of Jubilee Hills for their overwhelming support. He credited the win to the united efforts of party workers at every level, stating that when the Congress works together, no one can stop the party. He added that the verdict also reflects public approval of the government’s development initiatives over the past two years, including metro expansion, the Musi river rejuvenation project, the proposed Fourth City development, and work on the Regional Ring Road.

Revanth Reddy said that the government’s focus for the next three years would be entirely on development and welfare, keeping political distractions aside. With this victory, the Congress now holds 66 seats in the 119-member Assembly. He noted that this was the party’s second by-election win within two years.

Revanth’s advice to KTR and Harish Rao

The Chief Minister also made notable remarks about BRS leaders K. T. Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao. He advised KTR to let go of arrogance, reminding him that as a younger leader he still has a long future in politics and must stay grounded. Addressing Harish Rao, he said that politics has no place for jealousy and that respecting the people’s verdict is a leader’s duty. According to him, politicians must adapt to changing public sentiment instead of being driven by personal grudges.

Naveen Yadav thanks the people

After his victory, Naveen Yadav expressed heartfelt gratitude to the voters of Jubilee Hills. He said the people treated him like one of their own and entrusted him with a huge mandate. He described the result as a victory for the people of the constituency and promised to work diligently for local development and to resolve public issues.

Political strategies behind Congress win

Congress placed strong focus on securing Muslim support, believing it would play a decisive role in the by-election. About a quarter of the nearly four lakh voters in Jubilee Hills are Muslim. The appointment of former Indian cricket captain Mohammed Azharuddin as a minister and the party’s discussions with MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, which resulted in support for the Congress candidate, helped the party consolidate this vote base.

The Chief Minister took personal charge of campaigning, conducting small public meetings and roadshows across the constituency. He highlighted ongoing welfare schemes and major urban development projects in Hyderabad, which resonated with voters.

TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud said that the Jubilee Hills result would be repeated in the upcoming GHMC elections. He added that the victory clearly shows that the people stand with Congress and predicted that the party could win up to 100 seats in the next Assembly elections.

Impact on BRS and BJP

For the BRS, the Jubilee Hills loss comes soon after the party lost the Secunderabad Cantonment seat in 2024. Although the defeat was not by an extremely large margin, it may still raise questions about the leadership of KTR. Former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao’s decision not to campaign in this election also became a talking point.

Suspended BRS MLC K. Kavitha reacted to the defeat with a brief but sharp message on social media, writing “Karma hits back.” Her comment led to fresh speculation about internal tensions in the party, especially since her suspension came after she accused her cousins Harish Rao and J. Santosh Kumar of damaging KCR’s reputation over the Kaleshwaram project.

The BJP, on the other hand, suffered a significant decline in vote share. Although the party did not expect a win, analysts say the drop in support is a worrying trend for its prospects in Telangana.