HYDERABAD: The curtain came down on Sunday evening on the fiery Jubilee Hills byelection campaign, which saw leaders from all major parties engage in an aggressive, no-holds-barred slugfest.
The final day of canvassing saw the political temperature rise to a fever pitch, leaving the ultimate decision in the hands of the voters, who will now decide who their MLA should be in the November 11 elections, with the verdict to be delivered on November 14.
From the ruling Congress, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, a phalanx of ministers, MLAs, MLCs, MPs and key party leaders swung into action, participating in a marathon campaign. The opposition parties — the BRS and BJP — pulled out all the stops.
Their leaders addressed a slew of meetings and took their appeal directly to the people through door-to-door campaigning. From the BRS, party working president KT Rama Rao, former ministers including T Harish Rao, and a host of other MLAs, MLCs, MPs and key party leaders hit the campaign trail for their candidate Maganti Sunitha.
The BJP also left nothing to chance. Union Ministers G Kishan Reddy, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and MoS for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, alongside party state president N Ramchander Rao, a host of MPs, MLAs, MLCs, and key leaders, had engaged in a multi-pronged assault through door-to-door campaigns, roadshows and street corner meetings across the constituency, seeking support for their candidate, Lankala Deepak Reddy.
CM’s 7 roadshows
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy addressed seven meetings and roadshows that crisscrossed Vengal Rao Nagar, Srinagar Colony, Borabanda, Erragadda, Rahmatnagar, Shaikpet and Yousufguda. He addressed a cine workers’ meeting in Yousufguda and addressed several community gatherings.
Meanwhile, ministers were appointed as in-charges, with two put in charge of each of the seven divisions within the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency. These ministers spent sleepless nights, treating the campaign as a matter of great prestige, while the MLAs also worked tirelessly around the clock in the segment to campaign for their party candidate, Naveen Yadav.
BRS working president KT Rama Rao took the fight to the streets, addressing eight roadshows and street corner meetings in all divisions, while also campaigning within community groups in Jubilee Hills. He worked untiringly, participating in several apartment association meetings in support of the party candidate.
Meanwhile, key leader T Harish Rao, who had campaigned in the early stages, returned for the final two days after a period of absence following his father’s demise.
The BJP leaders were also in the thick of the action. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy addressed a packed schedule of seven roadshows, whistle-stop meetings, bike rallies, morning walk meetings, community gatherings, and a padayatra across several divisions.
Meetings, padayatras
Other leaders, including Bandi Sanjay, addressed three roadshows and corner meetings, while BJP state president N Ramchander Rao undertook a padayatra and door-to-door campaign for their candidate.
Simultaneously, the party’s MPs, MLAs and MLCs campaigned vigorously for their candidate, with each also acting as an in-charge for the seven divisions.
The leaders who had descended upon Jubilee Hills have now returned to their native places in line with ECI guidelines, bringing to a close days of feverish electioneering that transformed the constituency into a political battleground.