The Telangana unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has publicly alleged a covert agreement between the ruling Congress party and the Majlis Party. The BJP claims this secret understanding aims to put forward a ‘joint candidate’ in the crucial Jubilee Hills Assembly by-election scheduled for next month.
During a press conference at the party’s state headquarters on Wednesday, Medak MP M. Raghunandan Rao stated that evidence of this purported deal would emerge once the Congress officially declares its candidate. He further accused the Congress of agreeing to back the Majlis Party’s candidate for the Mayor’s position in the upcoming Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections as part of this alleged arrangement.
Rao pressed voters in Hyderabad and Secunderabad to demand answers regarding the Majlis Party’s apparent decision not to contest the by-election, especially considering they finished second in the 2014 elections. He questioned, “The party possesses the resources and influence to participate in assembly elections across various states, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra. So, why are they hesitant to contend in their own established stronghold?”
The BJP leader elaborated, asserting that while the Owaisi brothers, prominent Majlis leaders, reportedly had differing opinions on political affiliations, a scheme was underway to ensure the defeat of the BJP candidate. He pointed to the “hasty orders issued for the transfer of government land for a burial ground as a strong indicator of who truly controls power.” Rao cautioned voters to seriously evaluate the repercussions of a Majlis Party Mayor governing the capital region, suggesting that the majority community might experience discrimination, similar to incidents observed in Bhainsa.
Rao further commented that the Muslim community finds itself trapped between the Congress and Majlis parties, allegedly receiving only ‘appeasement politics’ rather than genuine ‘development.’ He emphasized that Central government welfare initiatives had positively impacted the community, contrasting this with the Congress government, which he noted, had failed to appoint any Muslim ministers to its cabinet. Additionally, he criticized the BRS for its alleged neglect of Jubilee Hills during its decade-long tenure, asserting that the current government has continued this pattern of oversight for the past 22 months.