The BJP known for its speedy movements in activating its election machinery, is surprisingly maintaining a low-profile with regard to Jubilee Hills by-election, scheduled to be held on November 11. Though the party has a solid vote bank of over 30,000 here, political circles are surprised why it is lagging behind other major parties Congress and BRS. Those two parties have already announced their candidates and are about to launch their election campaign.
If the party succeeds in fielding a potential candidate with a good image is likely to give a tough fight to both Congress and BRS. However, the state BJP leadership is not seen making such an effort. State President Ramachander Rao mostly confined himself to indoor consultations.
As this by-election is coming ahead of GHMC election, the result will have a decisive impact on the out-come of GHMC election, in which BJP is anxious to grab the Mayor seat for the first time in the city. Local BJP leaders are wondering why their leaders are not focusing on ground work, except making some media-related moves.
Now, although the nominations are starting from Monday, the candidate has not been finalized yet. The discontent and impatience spread among BJP leaders over the indifferent attitude of the state leadership towards this by-election exposed with the Nizamabad MP Dharmapuri Arvind suggesting the state president to field Congress leader and former Mayor Bonthu Rammohan as BJP candidate.
Moreover, accusing that Revanth Reddy and BJP are secretly cheating Telangana by joining hands, Cherka Mahesh, former joint convener of Jubilee Hills constituency, announced his resignation from BJP on Sunday.
However, the leaders of the party are whispering that the BJP is doing this strategically. They say that there are two reasons behind that strategy. The more the Bhartiya Rashtra Samiti (BRS) is weakened, the stronger the BJP will become. This has been proven in the parliamentary elections. The entire BRS vote bank is coming towards the BJP.
If the BRS loses badly again in the Jubilee Hills by-election, the political circles will conclude that the party has no future. The BJP will have nothing more to do than that. So, BJP is worried fielding a strong candidate will lead to division among anti BRS votes, weakening chances of Congress candidate’s winning chances.
Everyone is clear that it was the BJP’s decisions that completely changed the situation before the assembly elections and made the Congress in its favor. They also say that if they contest strongly now, there will be a three-cornered fight. It is not surprising if the BRS emerges in that fight, which is why they are silently preparing for the contest.
However, the Congress does not think so about the BJP’s strategy. They suspect that everyone, including the BJP and the TDP, wants to use this election to promote the BRS party by winning and increasing opposition to the Congress. Whatever the strategy behind BRS’ deliberate negligence, it is already becoming clear that the party is not particular to be in the race.