K Venkateshwarlu
Hyderabad
TPCC Working President Azharuddin who first eyed the Kamareddy constituency, is now eyeing Jubilee Hills to contest in the coming Assembly elections, it is learnt.
As part of it, Azharuddin took up a ‘Chai Pe Charcha’ programme on Wednesday in the Jubilee Hills constituency. He toured the constituency and discussed various issues with important leaders, it is learnt.
However, former MLA P. Vishnuvardhan Reddy’s followers entered the scene, blocked Azharuddin’s tour and asked Azharuddin to explain how he can hold meetings without informing Vishnuvardhan Reddy sparking tension. Police entered the scene and controlled the situation.
Vishnuvardhan Reddy became MLA for the first time from Khairathabad when his father P. Janardhan Reddy (PJR) died. He was re-elected from Jubilee Hills in 2009 after the delimitation of the Khairathabad constituency. But Vishnuvardhan Reddy lost the 2014 and 2018 elections.
It is learnt that Azharuddin entered the scene as per directions of the Congress high command as Muslim voters can decide the winner in Jubilee Hills.
It is learnt that the Congress has decided not to lose the Jubilee Hills constituency this time and so it is thinking of fielding Azharuddin in Jubilee Hills.
In the 2014 elections, one V. Naveen Yadav contested from the AIMIM and got 41,656 votes (25.19%) which happened to be more than the votes of P. Vishnuvardhan Reddy. Vishnuvardhan Reddy got 33,642 votes (20.34%) and the winner Maganti Gopinath of the TDP got 50,898 votes (30.78%). He later joined the BRS.
In the 2018 elections, the winner Maganti Gopinath of the BRS got 68,979 votes (44%) and Vishnuvardhan Reddy got 52,975 votes (34%). The AIMIM did not field a candidate in 2018 in Jubilee Hills. But the 2014 AIMIM candidate, V. Naveen Yadav, contested in 2018 as an Independent and came third with 18,817 votes (12%).
Muslim voters who voted for AIMIM candidate V. Naveen Yadav in the 2014 elections voted for BRS candidate Maganti Gopinath in 2018 as there was no AIMIM candidate and Maganti Gopinath got 18,081 votes more than in 2014.
The Congress expects that Azharuddin may win easily if fielded from Jubilee Hills with the help of Muslim votes along with regular Congress votes, it is learnt.
Azharuddin is touring the constituency as per the party’s directions, it is learnt.
First, Azharuddin said that he will contest from Kamareddy if the high command gives its nod. However, another senior leader TPCC PAC Convener Shabbir Ali has been contesting from the constituency for decades. The party advised Azharuddin to contest from Jubilee Hills instead of Kamareddy as Azharuddin’s residence is in Jubilee Hills, it is learnt.
It may be recalled that Azharuddin was elected as an MP from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh in 2009. But he lost the elections in Tonk-Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan in the 2014 elections. The party did not give a ticket to him in the 2019 elections.
