Congress Will Field 'Local Candidate' For Jubilee Hills Bypoll: Minister Ponnam
Prabhakar’s statement to the media, made in the presence of TPCC working president and former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin, pointed towards the likelihood of Azharuddin being the Congress candidate.
Hyderabad: District in-charge Minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Tuesday said that Congress would field a 'local candidate' for the upcoming Jubilee Hills Assembly byelection. He dismissed media speculation that the party might field an ‘outsider’.
Prabhakar’s statement to the media, made in the presence of TPCC working president and former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin, pointed towards the likelihood of Azharuddin being the Congress candidate. Azharuddin, who resides in Jubilee Hills, lost in 2023 to the BRS's Maganti Gopinath by over 16,000 votes. Gopinath’s death has necessitated the bypoll.
Azharuddin's presence at the press conference fuelled rumours that he might be the party’s candidate. However, adding to speculation was the presence of V. Naveen Yadav, another resident of Jubilee Hills, who had contested as an independent candidate in 2018. Prabhakar clarified that the party was still conducting surveys to find the most suitable candidate.
Prabhakar urged party workers to unite in support of the candidate chosen by the Congress high command. He expressed confidence in the party’s ability to secure a comfortable victory in the Jubilee Hills constituency.
TPCC chief B. Mahesh Kumar Goud clarified that applications from interested candidates would first be filtered by the state unit and then sent to the party’s central committees for final approval.
