HYDERABAD: TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud on Monday indicated that the Congress ticket for the Jubilee Hills byelection is likely to be allotted to a BC candidate, while adding that the official announcement on this is expected within the next two to three days.
During an informal chat with reporters at the MLA Quarters, he said that three BC aspirants are in strong contention for the ticket.
“After discussing with Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy tomorrow, we will send the final list of candidates to the AICC in a sealed cover. The candidate will be finalised based on the report submitted by the three in-charge ministers for the bypoll,” he said.
The TPCC chief also revealed his plan to undertake a ‘Basti Yatra — a colony outreach programme — in the Jubilee Hills segment, along with AICC state in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan and the three ministers overseeing the constituency.
Exuding confidence over his party’s prospects, he asserted that the Congress would “definitely win the Jubilee Hills byelection, just as it did in the Cantonment bypoll”.
Mahesh Goud stated that the difference between the previous BRS government and the present Congress administration’s people-oriented governance is clearly visible, and that voters of Jubilee Hills will certainly support the Congress for its focus on development and welfare.
He noted that the party had anticipated the Supreme Court dismissing a petition challenging 42% BC reservations, and stated that a public meeting will soon be held in Kamareddy where the Congress made its BC Declaration ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections.
On the possibility of reaching an agreement with the CPI, CPM and Telangana Jana Samithi for the bypoll, he said that the candidates supported by these parties would be allotted seats in the upcoming local body elections depending on local equations.
“The CPM is ready to support the Congress in the bypoll. A meeting with alliance partners will be convened within the next two days. We will also see if the AIMIM will extend its support,” he said.
The TPCC, meanwhile, clarified that former MP Mohammad Azharuddin is not in the race for the Jubilee Hills ticket and is likely to be nominated to the Legislative Council under the Governor’s quota.