Jubilee Hills by-poll emerges as Telangana's political litmus 

More than anything else, KTR positioning himself against the excess done by HYDRAA in demolishing people’ properties has got much traction among the poor, lower middle class and middle class people. 

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In  our country’s politics, by-elections often serve as barometers of public sentiment, but few have escalated into full-blown referendums like the ongoing Jubilee Hills by-poll in Telangana. Scheduled for November 11, with results expected shortly thereafter, this contest to replace the late Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA Maganti Gopinath has transcended its routine status.

Triggered by Gopinath's untimely demise in August, the poll pits BRS candidate Maganti Sunitha—his widow—against Congress's Naveen Yadav. What began as a local affair has morphed into a prestige battle, largely orchestrated by BRS Working President KT Rama Rao (KTR), who has masterfully reframed it as a verdict on Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy's 23-month-old Congress regime.

KTR's campaign blitzkrieg, spanning three weeks, stands out for its intensity and precision. Leveraging his oratorical prowess in Telugu, English, and Urdu, the 48-year-old former IT and Industries Minister conducted over 50 events, including mega roadshows that drew crowds exceeding 10,000 in upscale areas like Banjara Hills and Yousufguda. His multilingual addresses resonated deeply in Jubilee Hills, KTR's narrative was unrelentingly logical: contrasting BRS's decade-long governance (2014-2023) with Congress's "betrayal" on electoral promises. A pre-poll survey by National Family Opinion Pvt. Ltd., covering 11,033 respondents across 407 booths, pegged BRS at 42.42%, Congress at 33.16%, and BJP at 13.03%—a lead KTR amplified through viral social media clips.

More than anything else, KTR positioning himself against the excess done by HYDRAA in demolishing people’ properties has got much traction among the poor, lower middle class and middle class people. His assurance that the BRS would stand against the ‘Bulldozer’ justice went well with the people who became victims of the HYDRAA excesses. Voters especially in the colonies where lower middle class and economically weaker sections live related to the HYDRAA  tone of KTR. 

At the heart of KTR's pitch were BRS's tangible achievements, which he touted as the bedrock of Telangana's transformation post-bifurcation. Under BRS rule, the state's own tax revenue surged from ₹6,000 crore in 2014 to ₹18,500 crore by 2023, fueled by initiatives like Mission Bhagiratha—providing piped drinking water to 1.25 crore households—and Rythu Bandhu, a farmer investment support scheme disbursing ₹65,000 crore to 70 lakh farmers.

Infrastructure boomed too: Hyderabad's metro rail expanded by 70 km, irrigation coverage rose 25% to 2.5 million acres, and the state attracted ₹10 lakh crore in investments, creating 2.5 lakh jobs annually. KTR released a constituency-specific "progress report" on November 5, detailing Rs 5,328 crore spent on local welfare, including Rs 98 lakh on Arogya Lakshmi health schemes and Rs 73 lakh on KCR Kits for newborns.

These weren't abstract statistics; KTR humanized them through doorstep interactions, addressing women's self-help groups on the Rs 10,000 monthly pension (partially rolled out by Congress) and unemployed youth on the lingering Group-I recruitment delays.

Conversely, KTR eviscerated Congress for stalling on its "six guarantees"—pledged in the 2023 manifesto for implementation within 100 days. As of November 2025, only the Mahalakshmi free bus travel scheme (benefiting 20 crore women rides) and partial Gruha Lakshmi aid (Rs 500/month to 50 lakh women) are operational, as per government data.

The Indiramma houses (75,000 promised vs. 25,000 built) and Rs 2,500 unemployment allowance remain mired in delays, fueling accusations of "420 promises, zero delivery." KTR's "Baaki Card" campaign—launched September 28—distributed 1 lakh cards enumerating Congress's "dues" to communities, from Rs 15,000 farmer aid shortfalls to unfulfilled Dalit Bandhu investments. This resonated amid economic headwinds: Telangana's unemployment rate hovered at 6.5% in Q3 2025 (up from 5.2% in 2023), per NSSO data, while youth joblessness hit 15% in urban Hyderabad.

KTR's sharpest jabs targeted Congress's perceived neglect of minorities, particularly Muslims, who form a pivotal 12% of Telangana's electorate. For 23 months, Revanth Reddy's cabinet lacked Muslim representation—a glaring omission in a state where Muslims backed Congress's 2023 victory with 40% vote share. KTR hammered this in Urdu rallies, decrying it as "systematic exclusion" and linking it to stalled minority scholarships (down 20% in 2025 budgets). The barb stung: On October 31, Azharuddin—former Indian cricket captain and Congress working president—was hastily sworn in as the cabinet's lone Muslim face, handling Minority Welfare. 

This eleventh-hour move, however, backfired spectacularly. It fractured ties with the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), whose chief Asaduddin Owaisi accused Congress of tokenism, prompting AIMIM to withhold support and redirect votes toward BRS. Analysts estimate 25-30% of the Muslim vote shifting back to BRS, as per local exit polls, amplifying KTR's narrative of Congress as an "anti-minority" regime.

Economic critiques added firepower. KTR spotlighted the real estate slump, a sector vital to Jubilee Hills' affluent voters. Home registrations dipped 12% year-on-year in April 2025, with unsold inventory swelling 11% to 54,458 units, amid policy flip-flops like retrospective land audits scaring investors. Foreign direct investment inflows fell 9% nationally to $4.3 billion in 2025, with Telangana's share contracting from ₹2.5 lakh crore (2023 peak) to ₹1.8 lakh crore. Despite Hyderabad's 35% rise in home registrations overall, premium sales in Jubilee Hills stagnated at 8,205 units in H1 2025, down 4% QoQ, as buyers awaited clarity on Congress's "land regularization" pledges. KTR quipped, "Revanth's bulldozer politics razes dreams, not just encroachments," invoking fears of Borabanda-style demolitions.

Sunitha's candidacy injected raw emotion. As a grieving widow and social activist, she evoked sympathy waves, with KTR framing her as "Telangana's daughter denied justice." Roadshows on October 31 saw "pink seas" of supporters, per BRS footage, blending condolence with anti-incumbency. This human element contrasted Azharuddin's "parachute" entry, mocked as a "cricketing sixer that missed the stumps."

KTR also intelligently used the demolition drives done by HYDRAA. He said his party would stand against the Bulldozers demolishing the properties under the pretext of illegal structures. As polls open tomorrow, KTR will turn the tables!