With eye on JH seat bypolls, Cong to appoint Minority Cell chairperson

Hyderabad: As the Congress gears up for the Jubilee Hills bypolls, fearing loss of minority votes, the party has decided to streamline the Minority Wing. It will be filling up the position of Chairman of TPCC’s Minority Wing along with its members, as the wing does not have a head for about 2-years.

With over one lakh Muslim voters comprising some 33% of the key Assembly segment in the city, the Congress party remains hopeful of making a mark this time in the Jubilee Hills constituency. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has also urged the party members to ensure for a victory this time. Since the party has failed to get even a single seat in the Assembly polls, the Ministers including City incharge Ponnam Prabhakar is leaving no stone unturned and making regular visits.

However, amidst intense lobbying for Minority chairman’s post, some seniors are irked by the alleged consideration given to ‘juniors’ for the department. A few also have written to AICC incharge Meenakshi Natarajan over the injustice. The top aspirants include PCC spokesperson Syed Nizamuddin, PI Ahmed Nasir, Indian Youth Congress leader, Mohammed Irfan, Nizamabad district general secretary and Arshad Shaikh, chairman Greater Hyderabad Congress Committee’s Minority Department.

Muslim leaders within the party argue that without streamlining the Minority leadership in the State, the party would risk losing even this time to rival parties.

“It’s high time the party realises how crucial Minority leadership is for Congress if it wishes to win seats within the GHMC area. Now that the party has some kind of understanding with AIMIM, the party leadership could raise its flag in the constituency with a strong candidate and backing of Muslim votes. If the Minority wing is streamlined, it will immensely contribute even in the other upcoming polls across the State,” feels a party leader.

During 2023 Assembly polls, cricketer turned politician Azharuddin lost to BRS candidate Maganti Gopinath by 16,337 votes. While AIMIM which fielded Rashed Farazuddin was able to secure 7,848 and BJP’s L Deepak Reddy obtained 25,866 votes. Azharuddin blamed his defeat on AIMIM’s splitting of votes. The bypolls are now necessitated by the death of the sitting MLA.