With just a week left for the Jubilee Hills by-election, the BJP campaign is yet to gather full momentum as star campaigners are conspicuously missing from the scene. Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy has taken the entire responsibility of steering the party’s campaign, leading padayatras and preparing to launch roadshows across the constituency. Despite the party releasing a list of star campaigners including Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, and AP BJP leader Daggubati Purandeswari, none have yet hit the campaign trail. Meanwhile, Congress and BRS have gone all out with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and K.T. Rama Rao holding massive roadshows and rallies in various divisions of the constituency.

However, Kishan Reddy exuded confidence that the BJP would emerge victorious in the triangular contest between Congress, BRS, and BJP. He said that the absence of star campaigners would not impact the party’s prospects, as there is strong ground-level support. The Union Minister claimed that TDP workers, leaders, and Pawan Kalyan’s supporters are rallying behind BJP’s candidate L. Deepak Reddy, who, he said, was chosen for his long association and commitment to Jubilee Hills, not for caste considerations. “Deepak Reddy has been fighting for local issues for years; his candidature reflects the party’s recognition of his efforts,” he said.

Rejecting the opposition’s charge that BJP is against BCs and reservations, Kishan Reddy asserted, “We made a BC the Prime Minister of India — what more proof do we need of our commitment?” He accused the Congress government of mishandling the Caste Census, claiming that less than 20% of Hyderabad’s population participated and that the survey was manipulated to inflate BC figures and include Muslims in BC quota, enabling leaders like Azharuddin, Shabbir Ali, and the Owaisi brothers to contest in local body elections under BC reservation.

On the inclusion of Mohammed Azharuddin in the Cabinet, Kishan Reddy said it would not influence voters in the Congress’s favour. “If Azhar had such a following, he would have been given a ticket earlier. His appointment just before the by-election shows Congress’s desperation,” he remarked, adding that all details of the HCA scam, ED probe, and irregularities are available with the Uppal police station.

Responding to K.T. Rama Rao’s statement that K. Chandrashekar Rao would return as CM in 500 days, Kishan Reddy quipped that “KCR is confined to his farmhouse and not even attending Assembly sessions. His time in politics is over.”

The Union Minister also said that the state government is yet to submit the revised DPR for Metro Rail Phase-2 and that the CBI probe into Kaleshwaram is pending before the Telangana High Court.