HYDERABAD: Like AIMIM and CPI, the CPM and Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) too have decided to support Congress candidate Naveen Yadav in the November 11 Jubilee Hills byelection.
On Wednesday, CPM state secretary John Wesley announced that his party would back the Congress candidate while stating that the move was aimed to defeat the BJP.
Wesley, however, maintained that CPM would continue to raise people’s issues with the government, citing matters such as land acquisition for the Regional Ring Road (RRR). He insisted that land must be acquired only with public consent.
Meanwhile, the TJS announced its support to the Congress candidate after TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud met its chief Prof Kodandaram at the party’s office in Nampally.
Speaking to the media at the TJS office, Mahesh Goud lauded Prof Kodandaram’s role in the Telangana movement, and his honest and selfless efforts in achieving statehood.
He said the Congress would always remember TJS’s role in the 2023 elections that ended the decade-long BRS rule. Prof Kodandaram said that the Congress has assured them an opportunity to participate in governance and also to address unemployment issues. “I have brought all these issues to the notice of the TPCC chief before expressing our support to the Congress,” he said.
The TJS chief also demanded that the government issue a fresh job calendar, which was delayed due to the SC sub-categorisation issue.
Meanwhile, the TPCC chief urged the electorate to ensure a massive victory for Naveen Yadav, describing him as a young and dynamic candidate. He called upon all secular forces to unite to counter divisive politics.
Criticising Union Minister of State of Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar for making provocative speeches, he said: “It’s unfortunate that a leader holding such a position is resorting to making inflammatory statements, claiming that temple lands were being given to AIMIM. The BJP, as always, is trying to exploit religious sentiments for electoral gains.”
Cong steps up campaign
Meanwhile, the ruling Congress has stepped up its campaign, with a coordinated effort involving top leadership, ministers, and grassroots workers.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, TPCC chief B Mahesh Kumar Goud, and AICC Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan held a video conference with ministers and constituency in-charges to fine-tune the party’s poll strategy.
During the meeting, the chief minister directed Jubilee Hills in-charges such as ministers Ponnam Prabhakar, G Vivek Venkatswamy and Tummala Nageshwara Rao to appoint booth-level in-charges to ensure effective voter outreach. He instructed the party cadre to take the government’s welfare schemes — including free bus travel for women, subsidised gas cylinders, and enhanced ration distribution — to every household in the constituency. Revanth also assured the leaders that he was ready to personally join the campaign trail whenever required.
Earlier in the day, Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar held a separate review meeting with division-level in-charges and corporation chairpersons at Yousufguda.
The session was attended by MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy, MLA Eerlapally Shankarayya, AICC secretary SA Sampath Kumar, and several senior leaders including Shivasena Reddy, Bellayya Naik, Giridhar Reddy, and Lakshman Yadav. The focus was on mobilising cadre unity, boosting voter turnout, and ensuring a large victory margin for Congress candidate Naveen Yadav.
Later, Prabhakar, along with senior leaders, led a door-to-door campaign in Yusufguda. The campaign saw massive participation from women and party workers, transforming into a vibrant street rally.
Prabhakar appealed to the electorate to support Congress, highlighting that the government’s welfare programmes such as new ration cards, supply of fine rice, 200 units of free electricity, LPG cylinders for `500 and free RTC travel for women are tangible examples of pro-people governance.
