Ground Report- BRS Gopinath Vs Congress Azharuddin: Tackling civic issues in Jubilee Hills bastis, a crucial winning formula

Hyderabad: The Jubilee Hills neighborhood in Hyderabad has consistently made headlines due to its incredibly high real estate prices. It even features in a Telugu film song where the actor fervently prays for a mansion in this area, known for housing the wealthy elite, upscale dining establishments, and trendy pubs.

However, as the Telangana assembly elections approach, Jubilee Hills is once again in the spotlight, albeit for a different reason. The central residential and commercial areas of Jubilee Hills do not fall within the constituency's boundaries. A significant 70% of the constituency comprises slums and low-income neighborhoods. Localities that come under the Jubilee Hills constituency are Erragadda, Borabanda, Yousufguda, Srinagar Colony, and Shaikpet, with 2.9 lakh voters.

The Congress party recently declared its choice to nominate former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin as their candidate for the Jubilee Hills constituency. From the BRS party, it is Maganti Gopinath who got the ticket and Lankala Deepak Reddy from the BJP.

Azharuddin has been grappling with mounting pressure for some time, following several humiliating defeats subsequent to his victory in the Moradabad parliamentary seat in Uttar Pradesh in 2009. He faced an electoral setback in the Tonk-Sawai Madhopur Lok Sabha constituency in 2014. In 2019, he contested and emerged victorious as the president of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA). Nonetheless, internal conflicts led to legal disputes, and Azharuddin's name was even removed from the voter's list of the very club where he had served as the president.

While Azharuddin may have enjoyed international acclaim as a cricketing legend, his grassroots efforts in this constituency appear to be lacking. Krishna Yadav, who owns a hardware shop in one of the streets of Borabanda says, "I know him as someone who is popular for playing cricket on TV. Nobody knows anything more than that. I remember reading about him for some legal issues and controversies he was part of. But in the current scenario, I don't think middle class people like us would want to vote for someone who made headlines for the wrong reasons and risk our lives for the next five years. It is better to believe in a ghost you already know rather than believing in a god you never heard about."

As a seasoned AIMIM leader, Farazuddin's candidacy is expected to bring a fresh perspective and vibrant energy to the political arena. His prior experience as a corporator in Shaikpet demonstrates his dedication to public service and a profound understanding of the concerns and aspirations of the local community.

Gopinath contested the 2014 Telangana general election on behalf of the Telugu Desam Party from the Jubilee Hills Legislative Assembly constituency and won by a majority of 9,242 votes over the nearest MIM candidate, Naveen Yadav. After that he joined the TRS party. In the Telangana by-elections held in 2018, he contested on the Telangana Rashtra Samithi Party ticket and won with a majority of 16,004 votes over the nearest Congress Party candidate P. Vishnuvardhan Reddy.

BJP candidate Lankala Deepak Reddy is a first time candidate and people of Jubilee Hills seem to not be interested in looking at BJP as of now.

Sreelatha Redddy, a resident of the basti in Film Nagar says, “Film Nagar is known for celebrities because many live here. But there are bastis also here. A lot of daily wage labor works here. Many women from here work as domestic helpers in these big bungalows here. Men work as drivers or go for daily wage work. We need a proper commute here. No proper roads or water supply. The area is full of traffic 24x7. People roam on the main roads. But they should take a few more lanes to come inside and see the other side of Jubilee Hills. We want leaders who come to us and see what our situation is. Gopinath Maganti has done that once or twice as he comes from the film industry background. Same is the case with Krishna Nagar too.”

Adding more to that, Ajmal Saini, a resident of Jubilee Hills says, "Azharuddin track record as MP was disastrous from Moradabad. He failed miserably as he contested for Congress MP. Azhar has star power but very poor orator a liability if he wins the election and I heard he's desperately in need of funds so a minus again. Gopinath TRS candidate served well in the last term. Minority votes if they fall the anti incumbency factor will work in Azhar’s favor inly a congress wave can get him thru. Azhar has a lucky charm studded with star power. if all this can be converted into votes is yet to be seen. Jubilee hills is known to favor Muslims as MIM doesn't contest from Jubilee Hills. So again in Azhar’s favor it might work.

Eye on minority votes:

In Hyderabad, after the Old City, Jubilee Hills houses a large number of minority voters which can significantly impact the outcomes of the ensuing Telangana Assembly elections.

Over the last nine years, the Congress failed to secure the election of even a single MLA from the Muslim community, while the AIMIM has won seven seats, and the ruling BRS party has claimed one.