The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has officially named Maganti Sunitha Gopinath as its candidate for the upcoming Jubilee Hills Assembly by-election. This crucial election was necessitated by the unfortunate passing of her husband, Maganti Gopinath.
Party sources indicate that the decision by BRS president K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) to field Ms. Sunitha Gopinath recognizes her late husband’s dedicated and extensive service to the party and the people of Jubilee Hills over many years.
Leaders within the party emphasized that this nomination was made after carefully considering the strong feelings of the local BRS cadre, who had developed deep personal connections with Gopinath during his tenure as a three-time MLA. The BRS leadership’s choice to support Ms. Sunitha Gopinath is a deliberate effort to both honor the late leader’s significant contributions and respect the collective wishes of the Jubilee Hills residents. KCR himself remarked, “It is only fitting that the family continues to represent the aspirations of Jubilee Hills.”
This announcement kickstarts the campaigning for the by-poll, which is expected to take place in October, coinciding with the Bihar Assembly elections. Both the Congress and the BJP are yet to declare their respective candidates. Several prominent figures within the Congress are reportedly vying for the seat, including Naveen Yadav, a former MIM candidate, former GHMC Mayor Bonthu Rammohan, and the current Khairatbad MLA, Danam Nagender. Additionally, senior leader V. Hanumanth Rao is also said to be seeking the nomination, potentially in what could be his final election contest given his age.