Hyderabad: The Jubilee Hills bypoll delivered a sobering reality check to the Telangana BJP, significantly undermining the narrative of steady gains it had built through recent electoral battles.For a party that once positioned itself as the rising alternative in Greater Hyderabad—buoyed by wins in Dubbak and Huzurabad and strong runner-up finishes in Secunderabad Cantonment and Munugode—the steep erosion of its vote share in Jubilee Hills has triggered serious introspection. A sharp fall from its peak The BJP secured 17,061 votes—around 8.7%—a dramatic drop from the 14% it polled in the 2023 assembly elections. This decline proves even more striking when contrasted with the 2024 Lok Sabha result, where the party had crossed the 30% mark in the Jubilee Hills segment of Secunderabad, helping G Kishan Reddy win the parliamentary seat. The steep fall suggests that the BJP was unable to convert its parliamentary strength into localised assembly support. Senior leaders privately admit the party entered the race knowing victory was unlikely, but they still expected to retain their deposit and secure a competitive third position. Instead, the contest slipped away early, with the party losing control over both narrative and ground mobilisation. Internal rifts, strategic gaps Sources point to internal fissures that weakened the party’s campaign despite public claims of a triangular contest. Key leaders reportedly operated in silos, and district-level coordination was inconsistent. “There was a strong campaign in the last few days, but it came too late to change voter behaviour,” a leader familiar with the assessment said. Another strategic lapse was the lack of engagement with Telangana TDP voters—a bloc considered sizeable in Jubilee Hills. The BJP neither evaluated the TTDP’s residual influence nor attempted informal coordination, leaving a chunk of voters unaddressed in a tight contest where every community mattered.Urban footprint takes a hitThis was only the second time the BJP contested the Jubilee Hills assembly seat since the constituency was formed in 2009. The party fielded Lankala Deepak Reddy in an attempt to widen its urban footprint, but the result highlighted its limited cadre presence in areas dominated by minority, BC and professional class voters. The bypoll, analysts say, signals that while the BJP remains competitive at the parliamentary level in Hyderabad, it still lacks the granular booth-level grip required for the assembly elections. For a party aiming to become the principal challenger to Congress in Telangana, the Jubilee Hills outcome stands out as a critical reminder: Without unity, sustained ground work, and careful social coalitions, its urban promise may remain inconsistent.
