Congress tactics to malign BRS candidate Maganti Sunitha face backlash in Jubilee Hills bypoll

The Congress party’s alleged attempts to defame BRS candidate Maganti Sunitha in the Jubilee Hills bypoll have backfired after photos and videos surfaced showing her family ties with late MLA Maganti Gopinath, contradicting allegations made by his mother, Mahananda Kumari

Hyderabad: With just three days left for the Jubilee Hills by-election, a desperate Congress party and its social media teams are making futile attempts to tarnish BRS candidate Maganti Sunitha’s image and mislead voters in the constituency over allegations made by the late Maganti Gopinath’s mother, Maganti Mahananda Kumari.

On Thursday, she alleged that Sunitha and BRS working president KT Rama Rao did not allow her or Gopinath’s brother Vajranath to see Gopinath while he was undergoing treatment in a private hospital.

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Interestingly, Vajranath had earlier accompanied Rama Rao to a few press meets and party meetings held at the BRS headquarters. In addition, Maganti Tarak, who claimed to be Gopinath’s son from his first marriage, alleged that Sunitha’s claim of being the late MLA’s wife was false.

Congress-leaning social media networks have been circulating videos of Mahananda Kumari making allegations against Sunitha in an attempt to damage the BRS candidate’s image.

However, these claims came under scrutiny after several photographs and videos surfaced on social media showing Mahananda Kumari attending the wedding of Gopinath and Sunitha. Images of her participating in birthday celebrations of the couple’s daughter were also widely shared.

Many are questioning the sudden change in Mahananda Kumari’s stand.

“The couple had been married for over 23 years, and their marriage was performed in the presence of Maganti Gopinath’s mother. The Congress media is trying to defame the BRS candidate by making Mahananda Kumari level different allegations,” a netizen, Sharada Goud, commented in a Facebook post.

Sharing old images of Mahananda Kumari on X, BRS spokesperson Manne Krishank hit back at pro-Congress media outlets. “Cheapest tactics by Sonia Gandhi ji’s party against a woman candidate in the Jubilee Hills bypoll,” he said.

After trying all possible means, the Congress is now resorting to personal attacks and raising the marital relationship of the late MLA and Sunitha to malign her, BRS leaders pointed out.

Congress Ministers, including Ponnam Prabhakar, had earlier accused Sunitha of attempting to gain sympathy when she turned emotional at a few events where the public expressed solidarity with her family.

Even during the nomination process, Congress representatives urged the Returning Officer to cancel Sunitha’s nomination alleging that she was not Gopinath’s wife legally, but the objection was not upheld.