Congress on the ropes in Jubilee Hills as BRS edges ahead

With days to go for polling, the Congress faces growing dissent and dwindling support in the Jubilee Hills bypoll. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s campaign suffered a major embarrassment after poor turnout and a survey showed the BRS candidate leading comfortably

Hyderabad: The Congress party, barely two years into power in Telangana, finds itself struggling to salvage its image in the high-stakes Jubilee Hills by-election. It is fighting what insiders call a battle with its back firmly against the wall.

Even as Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy leads the Congress campaign, the poor turnout at Tuesday’s meeting of film workers exposed him and his clout, or rather, the lack of it, sufficiently. The Congress party did not find any solace even with the findings of a survey conducted by the media house of a Congress minister. It rather exposed the cracks in the ruling party’s support base.

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The bypoll, triggered by the death of sitting MLA Maganti Gopinath, was seen as Congress’ attempt to assert dominance in the upscale Hyderabad constituency, a stronghold of the BRS.

But Revanth Reddy’s much-hyped felicitation event for film workers and personalities drew poor attendance, leaving party leaders red-faced.

“It was an utter flop,” admitted a senior Congress source, who said Revanth Reddy huddled with ministers late into the night for a damage-control session, trying to review where things went wrong.

Compounding the embarrassment, the election survey revealed that the BRS candidate was leading by a clear eight percentage.

The situation presents a grim picture for the ruling Congress, with the development legacy of the BRS from a decade in power still continuing its sway over the electorate while Congress’ promises are being taken with a pinch of salt.

The minority vote bank, crucial in this seat, is slipping away too. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi, expected to rally support, made just a single campaign stop before leaving for Bihar for his own party’s campaign. This is indeed seen as a deliberate snub from the AIMIM and it sparked heated debates within Congress circles, with fears that Muslim voters, long seen as loyal allies, may stay home or shift allegiances.

In a frantic bid to stem the tide, the party high command has dangled a cabinet berth to former cricketer and Congress leader Mohammed Azharuddin, a move aimed at assuaging the ruffled feelings of the minority community.

It is seen by political observers as a last-ditch attempt. With polling just days away, the Congress party’s rank and file seem to be slipping into desperation.