Who Will Be the BJP Candidate for Jubilee Hills Bypoll?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- The BJP election committee is finalizing names for Jubilee Hills bye-election.
- Key leaders are involved in the selection process.
- The BRS has already selected its candidate.
- Vote counting will occur on November 14.
- This bye-election is vital for the political landscape in Telangana.
Hyderabad, Oct 10 (NationPress) The process to finalize the BJP candidate for the upcoming bye-election to the Jubilee Hills Assembly seat has entered a crucial stage as of Friday.
The election committee of the BJP's Telangana unit convened a meeting on Friday to narrow down three candidates from a preliminary list. This shortlist will then be forwarded to the party's central leadership for the final announcement.
Chaired by state BJP president N. Ramchander Rao, the meeting was attended by key figures such as Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy, MP K. Laxman, and the party's state general secretary Chandrasekhar Tiwari.
During the meeting, Ramchander Rao presented findings from a three-member committee that had previously shortlisted five potential candidates.
The election committee will prioritize three names and submit them to the party's high command for approval.
According to M. Dharma Rao, a member of the committee, the BJP will announce its candidate within a few days.
The panel, established by the state BJP chief, consulted 44 leaders at various levels and compiled six shortlisted names for the state leadership's consideration. This list was presented to the election committee on Friday.
Among the candidates likely to be forwarded to the high command are Lankala Deepak Reddy, who represented the party in the 2023 elections, Juturu Keerthi Reddy, and Veerapaneni Padma.
The shortlist also featured Akula Padma, a leader from the backward classes, and Atluri Ramakrishna.
The ruling Congress party and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) have already unveiled their candidates for the bye-election scheduled for November 11.
Congress has nominated Naveen Yadav, while BRS has chosen Maganti Sunita, the wife of the late Maganti Gopinath, whose passing necessitated the bypoll.
In the 2023 elections, Gopinath of BRS achieved a significant victory over former Indian cricket captain and Congress candidate Mohammed Azharuddin by a margin of 16,337 votes.
In a multi-cornered contest, Gopinath secured 80,549 votes, while Azharuddin garnered 64,212. BJP's L. Deepak Reddy finished third with 25,866 votes, and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), led by Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, placed fourth with only 7,848 votes.
According to the schedule released by the Election Commission of India on Monday, the official notification for the bye-election will be issued on October 13. The last date for filing nominations is set for October 21, with scrutiny occurring on October 22, and withdrawal of candidacies allowed until October 24.
Vote counting is slated for November 14, and the entire election process will conclude by November 16, 2025.