- BJP banks on Naidu and Pawan Kalyan to boost campaign strength
- Congress and BRS intensify efforts as BJP plans star-backed push
The political buzz in Hyderabad has intensified as the BJP looks to bring Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan into the campaign for the high-profile Jubilee Hills by-election. The move is aimed at energising its efforts and consolidating support among voters from Seemandhra living in the constituency.
The by-poll, scheduled for November 11, features a triangular contest between Congress nominee Naveen Yadav, BRS candidate Maganti Sunitha, and BJP’s Deepak Reddy. While Congress and BRS are already in full swing, the BJP hopes to leverage the influence of its Andhra allies to make the fight more competitive.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has personally taken charge of the Congress campaign, treating Jubilee Hills as a prestige battle. Ministers and local party leaders are conducting intensive door-to-door outreach. Meanwhile, BRS working president KT Rama Rao is overseeing Maganti Sunitha’s campaign, emphasising her grassroots appeal and her late husband Maganti Gopinath’s legacy.
Amid this rivalry, the BJP sees a strategic opportunity in deploying Naidu and Pawan Kalyan, who lead the Telugu Desam Party and Jana Sena Party respectively. Both leaders are significant partners of the BJP in Andhra Pradesh’s ruling coalition. According to party insiders, discussions are underway on whether to send an invitation to them via a delegation to Amaravati or to coordinate through BJP national president JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The constituency’s voter base is at the heart of this strategy. Out of nearly three lakh voters in Jubilee Hills, about 1.5 lakh are estimated to be from Seemandhra. The Kapu and Kamma communities, along with roughly 30,000 voters linked to the film industry, play a decisive role. BJP leaders believe that the presence of Naidu and Pawan Kalyan could influence these segments significantly.
A senior BJP source said, “If both leaders campaign here, the BJP’s prospects will rise sharply.” However, observers note that managing the schedules of the two Andhra leaders may pose challenges given the limited time before campaigning ends on November 9. Still, BJP strategists are weighing options to hold road shows and corner meetings featuring the duo in the final stretch, hoping to gain an edge in what promises to be a high-voltage three-way contest.
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