Telugu Desam Party (TDP) headed by Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu is said to be keen on contesting the upcoming by-election to the Jubilee Hills assembly seat, which has fallen vacant due to the sudden death of sitting MLA Maganti Gopinath.
Maganti Gopinath, who had won three times from this constituency since its formation in 2009, first won on a TDP ticket but later joined BRS and won in 2018 and 2023.
The Congress is aiming to secure the seat, similar to its success in the Cantonment by-election.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has already formed a committee with Ponnam Prabhakar, Tummala Nageswara Rao, and Vivek Venkatswamy to assess the ground situation.
Potential Congress candidates under consideration include Mohammad Azharuddin, PJR’s daughter Vijaya Reddy, and Naveen Yadav.
Muslim minority votes are expected to play a decisive role here. If Congress and AIMIM come to an understanding, the dynamics could shift significantly.
Meanwhile, BRS is considering fielding a member from Maganti Gopinath’s family or possibly former MLA P Vishnuvardhan Reddy if a consensus isn't reached.
But the interesting point is that the TDP wants to contest the by-polls, aiming to use it as a launchpad for future political moves.
Reports suggest that the party has finalized its candidate for the by-election. The party is keen on replicating the success of the NDA alliance from Andhra Pradesh in Telangana.
Discussions are ongoing about fielding a joint NDA candidate from TDP, Jana Sena, and BJP in the Jubilee Hills by-election.
TDP is reportedly considering Nandamuri Suhasini, a member of the Nandamuri family, as its potential candidate.
Within TDP, there is a belief that Suhasini’s candidature would bring electoral benefits. BJP, on the other hand, is said to be considering fielding an industrialist.
Talks are currently in preliminary stages, with final decisions to be taken after discussions among the leadership of the three parties.
Sources said the TDP has assured the BJP that if it is allowed to contest the Jubilee Hills by-poll, it would extend full support to the saffron party in the coming elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.
The BJP is yet to respond to the TDP’s suggestion, sources said.