Jubilee Hills by-election: Congress says it wants to field local candidate; Azhar’s name gains traction

Hyderabad: The Congress party is gearing up for the upcoming by-election to the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency with renewed confidence, and former Indian cricket captain Mohammed Azharuddin is emerging as the likely candidate.

No chance of an outsider

Telangana Minister and Hyderabad district in-charge Ponnam Prabhakar on Tuesday ruled out the possibility of fielding an outsider, affirming that the nominee will be a local leader backed by public support.

Addressing a press conference in the presence of Azharuddin, the minister said the party will choose a candidate based on a survey and asserted that Congress leaders and workers would campaign unitedly to reclaim the seat.

‘Only local candidate will be fielded’

“We will not import candidates. The person who has the support of the people will be fielded. A detailed survey will guide our decision,” Prabhakar said. “Once finalised, everyone in the party will work together to ensure victory. Just as we won Secunderabad Cantonment, we will win Jubilee Hills too.”

The minister added that the Congress party is committed to rectifying the neglect the constituency has faced over the past decade. “We appeal to the people to support Congress and bless the government’s ongoing development initiatives,” he said, expressing confidence that the Congress flag would fly high again in Jubilee Hills.

Azharuddin declares interest in contesting

Azharuddin, who currently serves as the Working President of the Telangana Congress, had publicly declared on June 19 that he would contest from Jubilee Hills once again. Describing the constituency as his ‘home turf,’ he expressed confidence in securing voter support this time around.

By-election necessitated by Gopinath’s demise

The by-election was necessitated following the sudden demise of BRS legislator Maganti Gopinath on June 8. Gopinath had represented Jubilee Hills for three consecutive terms and defeated Azharuddin in the 2023 elections by a margin of over 16,000 votes.

Candidate selection underway

Despite Azharuddin’s interest, state Congress chief Mahesh Kumar Goud stated that the party has not officially finalised its candidate.

He outlined the internal procedure, which includes the submission of applications, scrutiny at the State level, and final approval by the Central Election Committee and the Congress Working Committee.

Azharuddin’s political background

Azharuddin entered politics in 2009 and won his first Lok Sabha election from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. In 2014, he was fielded from Rajasthan’s Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, but lost the contest.

Though he was actively involved in the 2018 Assembly election campaign, the party did not nominate him at that time. In 2023, he contested from Jubilee Hills but lost to Gopinath.

Recently, he was appointed to the state Congress Political Affairs Committee. His son, Mohammed Asaduddin, was also elevated as a General Secretary in the Telangana Congress unit.

With a strong local presence, political experience, and internal backing, Azharuddin appears to be the frontrunner for the party ticket in Jubilee Hills, pending formal approval from the leadership, political experts opined.