HYDERABAD: As the Jubilee Hills by-election draws closer, the dominant worry for the two main political contenders the ruling Congress and the opposition BRS is not each other, but the electorate itself.
Both parties are growing increasingly anxious over the prospect of a poor voter turnout.
This concern is rooted in recent history. During the 2018 and 2023 general elections, the constituency saw a modest poll percentage of around 47 per cent. Compounding this issue is the uncertainty surrounding the BJP’s influence and which party’s votes it may erode.
With polling day fast approaching, leaders from both the Congress and BRS are on edge, troubled by voter indifference towards the byelection.
Political analysts often attribute low turnout to urban apathy in upscale areas like Jubilee Hills. The constituency, with its mix of middle-class residents, elite voters and a significant floating population, has traditionally shown less enthusiasm for elections.
Double-edged sword
According to one analyst, an increase in voting percentage brings more anxiety than relief for the parties. A higher turnout is a double-edged sword; it could signal a strong anti-incumbency wave or simply reflect superior voter mobilisation by one party, he opines.
The ruling Congress is blaming the BRS’s decade-long previous regime for stalled development in Jubilee Hills and its bastis. The party is promising that the state government will undertake comprehensive development works across the constituency if its candidate V Naveen Yadav is elected. Ministers are campaigning on the message that “a vote for the BRS is a vote for no development.”
Meanwhile, the BRS, still recovering from its 2023 defeat, is striving to retain the seat. Party insiders reveal that BRS leaders are quietly working to reactivate their networks, particularly within housing societies and local associations, hoping to reclaim lost ground.
Their campaign focuses on the welfare schemes implemented during their government and accuse the Congress of neglecting them since coming to power. They claim significant anti-incumbency sentiment against the Congress and are positioning themselves as the natural alternative.
Growing presence
The BJP sees this byelection as a prime opportunity to strengthen its foothold in this urban pocket. In the 2023 Assembly election, the BJP secured a respectable 25,000 votes in Jubilee Hills, signaling its growing presence.
This byelection is now a test for Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, under whose Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency Jubilee Hills falls. Taking personal charge of the campaign, he has framed the contest as more than a local battle — positioning it as a reflection of people’s faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his governance model.
The party is banking on issues like corruption, urban development, and nationalistic appeal to attract middle-class and youth voters.
The central question haunting both the Congress and BRS is whose votes the BJP’s spirited campaign will cut.
Congress leaders hope a BJP surge will split the anti-incumbency vote and damage the BRS, thereby benefiting their candidate. Conversely, the BRS expects that dissatisfied Congress voters, remembering the BRS’s decade of governance experience, will turn to them rather than the BJP.
In a constituency where a swing of a few thousand votes can decide the result, the final turnout percentage may well determine who ultimately claims the crown.
