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Muslim voters emerge as key bloc in high-stakes Jubilee Hills by-election Early surveys and campaign rhetoric suggest that minority sentiments, civic issues, and youth aspirations could shape what many view as a mini-referendum on Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s urban governance record. Synopsis: Hindus form a numerical majority in Jubilee Hills, while Muslims constitute roughly 30 percent of voters; Christians, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes account for smaller shares. Caste dynamics further complicate the picture: Backward Classes (BCs) such as Yadavs and other BC groups wield influence in several pockets, while Reddy and Kamma communities—traditional bastions for Congress and BRS, respectively—remain influential in elite neighbourhoods. As the campaign for the 11 November by-election for Telangana’s upscale Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency enters its final phase, attention has turned to its diverse electorate, where Muslims—about 30 percent of voters, roughly 1.1 to 1.3 lakh strong—are widely seen as the most decisive single bloc. With around 3.98 lakh registered voters spread across more than 400 polling stations, this plush Hyderabad enclave—home to film stars, business leaders, and urban professionals—is set for a prestige battle among the ruling Congress, the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), and the BJP, alongside several independents. Early surveys and campaign rhetoric suggest that minority sentiments, civic issues, and youth aspirations could shape what many view as a mini-referendum on Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s urban governance record. Jubilee Hills, a general-category constituency under the Secunderabad Lok Sabha seat, mirrors Hyderabad’s cosmopolitan makeup. Electoral rolls updated for 2025 show approximately 3.98–3.99 lakh electors. Also Read: Congress’s uneasy equation with Jubilee Hills Muslims The constituency Hindus form a numerical majority, while Muslims constitute roughly 30 percent of voters; Christians, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes account for smaller shares. Caste dynamics further complicate the picture: Backward Classes (BCs) such as Yadavs and other BC groups wield influence in several pockets, while Reddy and Kamma communities—traditional bastions for Congress and BRS, respectively—remain influential in elite neighbourhoods. Voters in the 30-39 age group—nearly 97,000—is the single largest bracket, and their concerns over jobs, housing costs, and civic infrastructure could prove pivotal. The by-poll was necessitated by the death of three-time BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath on 8 June 2025. Historically, the turnout in this urban seat has hovered between 45 and 48 percent, and officials expect a similar figure this time, though intensified door-to-door drives could lift participation past 50 percent. BC voters, estimated at 15–20 percent (60,000–80,000), are being actively courted by Congress’s BC candidate V. Naveen Yadav, while the BRS banks on sympathy for the late MLA. The BJP, fielding Lankala Deepak Reddy, is targeting an upper-caste Hindu consolidation (≈5–10 percent) but risks alienating minorities amid its national messaging. The Congress, buoyed by AIMIM’s backing, has unveiled minority-focused promises such support for minority women under the “Indiramma” scheme and priority quotas in upcoming IT parks. Revanth Reddy’s rally line—“Your presence is because Congress stands with you”—aimed to evoke historical loyalty but drew BJP criticism for “vote-bank politics.” The BRS, led by KT Rama Rao, is countering through an “Op Akarsh” outreach drive, inducting local Muslim leaders. The BJP focuses on “transparent governance” and anti-corruption themes, targeting Hindu middle-class voters. Also Read: Are Telangana BJP leaders quietly hoping for a Congress win in Jubilee Hills bypoll? Decisive segment As the polling day nears, the Muslim electorate—about a third of all voters—could prove decisive in this triangular fight. Analysts believe its cohesion could swing margins by 10,000 to 15,000 votes in either direction. Turnout remains the wild card: if it tops 50 percent, a fragmented verdict favouring an underdog cannot be ruled out. In the glitzy lanes of Jubilee Hills, where film shoots spill into daily life, the Telugu-film workforce—from junior artists to technicians—is emerging as a small but potentially swinging constituency. Clusters around Krishna Nagar and Chitrapuri Colony, home to an estimated few thousand industry workers, could collectively sway several thousand votes in a low-turnout urban contest. This demographic traces its roots to the 1980s shift of Telugu cinema from Chennai to Hyderabad, when successive governments allocated land for studios and film housing colonies. Today, workers complain of irregular pay, inadequate health insurance, short-term contracts, and delays in welfare-fund disbursals. It is estimated that they comprise 1–2 percent of the electorate, yet their occupational solidarity gives them disproportionate influence in tight races. Revanth Reddy, in a bid to win them over, met union leaders and film technicians, promising enhanced pensions, ₹10-lakh family aid for deceased workers, and larger training quotas. Actor Suman and other Congress supporters canvassed in Krishna Nagar, promoting Naveen Yadav as a “social-justice candidate.” Also Read: Will Majlis support bail out Congress Eye on film sector The BRS is leveraging its decade-long association with the film sector, focusing on studio subsidies and welfare schemes launched under K Chandrashekar Rao. Its candidate Maganti Sunitha, wife of the late Maganti Gopinath, has promised to restore grants and revive anti-piracy enforcement. Former MLA Peddi Sudarshan Reddy demanded Yadav’s disqualification, terming the event “a violation of the Model Code.” The BJP, meanwhile, has remained largely silent on film-sector issues, focusing instead on broader urban and Hindu-voter outreach. With polling just days away, the Jubilee Hills contest has evolved into a test of urban alliances and minority-majority equations, where both film workers and Muslim voters could determine who holds Hyderabad’s most high-profile Assembly seat. (Edited by Majnu Babu).
