Owaisi Hospital vs Virinchi Hospital talk in Old City ahead of Lok Sabha elections

Hyderabad: The BJP candidate for Hyderabad Lok Sabha, Kompella Madhavi Latha, creates abuzz on social media as she has been fielded against Asaduddin Owaisi of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), and people are terming it as a battle of Owaisi Hospital vs Virinchi Hospital. The voters in the constituency felt that the candidate did not make any difference in the outcome of Hyderabad, which has been represented by Asaduddin Owaisi.

Following the announcement of the BJP fielding a woman candidate, Virinchi Hospital chairman Madhavi Latha, against a stronghold in Asaduddin, the netizens say it is a tug of war between two hospitals. The hashtag Owaisi vs Virinchi was trending in the city on various platforms. This is the first time the BJP has fielded a female candidate in the Old City segment. Madhavi Latha, a resident of Old City, is a professional Bharatanatyam dancer with an MA in Political Science from Koti Women's College. She is known for her 'Pro Hindu Dharma' speeches. She is a critic of Asaduddin and has her work based in Old City.

Her statement went viral against Asad Owaisi, saying, 'ab baari humari hai, 40 saal de diya'. Owaisi has been the Hyderabad MP, winning the seat four times since 2004. Earlier, his father, Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi, was the Lok Sabha representative from Hyderabad six times. The BJP got a vote share of 32.05 per cent in 2014 and 26.8 per cent in the 2019 elections.

However, the voters feel that the BJP needs to work hard to improve its chances in the Hyderabad constituency. The issues that she raised, terming them '40 saal de diya', are omnipresent across the country and not confined to Hyderabad alone. She has been criticised by the voters on social media for her hospital losing its licence for COVID-19 treatments after health authorities discovered that it was overcharging patients.

Aisha Rubeena of AIMIM said, "The party has been winning the seat for the last four decades with lakhs of vote margins; even this time we are expecting the same and the party will win the seat. Whoever the candidate from any political party is, the MIM has never faced a jolt, even during the Assembly elections. The party has had various stronghold seats in the Assembly for several terms and in the Hyderabad Lok Sabha since 1984. When asked about Owaisi vs Virinchi, Aisha said, "The BJP candidate has been known for running commercial hospitals, and the people know the Owaisi group of hospitals works for public service. The people of Hyderabad will vote for Asaduddin Owaisi, who has been raising several issues regardless of religion and has worked for Hyderabad for the last four terms.”

Asif Hussain Sohail, a political analyst, said, "BJP fielded a woman who works as a social activist, but she has never been an active politician; she is a political debutant who has no face in Hyderabad and is a 'political tourist' during elections. She has clearly mentioned her Hindutva agenda and communalising the issue, which may destroy the peace and harmony of Hyderabad.”

Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency has Legislative Assembly segments including Malakpet, Karwan, Charminar, Chandrayangutta, Yakutpura, and Bahadurpura, all bastions of AIMIM, and Goshamahal of the BJP.