HYDERABAD: As the campaign tempo picks up for the Jubilee Hills Assembly byelection, the ruling Congress, BJP and BRS have adopted sharply contrasting strategies.
The Congress is pursuing a multi-layered and inclusive approach aimed at consolidating its renewed momentum in Hyderabad. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has been making symbolic courtesy visits to prominent community leaders, underscoring the government’s message of inclusiveness and reassurance. The ruling party’s decision to allocate land for a kabristan (graveyard) — a long-pending community demand — has further strengthened its goodwill among Muslim voters.
TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud has been coordinating with key Muslim leaders to fine-tune poll management and expand community mobilisation efforts, along with representatives from other sections, including Christians, Yadavas, Gouds, Munnuru Kapus, Mudirajus, and other OBC groups. Senior leaders such as Mohammed Shabbir Ali and Md Azharuddin are holding a series of meetings with religious heads and social organisations to deepen trust and revive the party’s grassroots connect.
Congress candidate Naveen Yadav is said to enjoy a positive perception owing to his past association with the AIMIM, with which the Congress is believed to have a tacit understanding for selective campaigning in certain localities. Informal coordination with BRS division-level leaders is also said to exist, reflecting a pragmatic approach to managing constituency-level dynamics.
The BRS, meanwhile, continues to rely on its established organisational model centred around local leadership and loyalty-based networks. The party has been inducting influential local figures to reinforce its structure and retain relevance amid shifting urban voter trends. Its strategy remains leader-driven, with working president KT Rama Rao and senior Hyderabad-based leaders such as Talasani Srinivas Yadav spearheading community-level engagement and highlighting the party’s welfare-oriented governance record.
The BRS is also seeking to capitalise on the late MLA Maganti Gopinath’s legacy and emotional connect in the segment to boost the prospects of its candidate, Maganti Sunitha, his wife. Gopinath’s daughters have also joined the campaign, reaching out to residents in bastis and reminding them of their family’s association with the constituency.
The BJP, on the other hand, is focusing its campaign on Hindu-majority areas, seeking to consolidate its vote share through ideological mobilisation. The party is also highlighting the Central government’s initiatives under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, including those related to the Muslim community, in an attempt to broaden its appeal. However, party insiders suggest that the BJP’s narrative remains largely anchored in religious sentiment and polarisation tactics rather than broader community outreach. Its messaging continues to emphasise cultural identity and Hindutva-based unity as it attempts to strengthen its urban presence.
