The Jubilee Hills by-election was called after the sudden passing of sitting BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath. This election carries major political weight it’s a test of strength for Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who completes two years in office, and an equally crucial battle for the BRS, which risks losing one of its key urban seats.
BRS has fielded Maganti Gopinath’s wife, Sunitha, as its candidate. But so far, the campaign hasn’t gained momentum. Reports suggest KCR held a review meeting this morning with party leaders K. T. Rama Rao and Harish Rao at his farmhouse in Erravelli village, Siddipet district.
Media outlets claim the two leaders requested KCR to campaign in Jubilee Hills. That in itself raises questions. Why should the party president and its chief ministerial candidate need to be requested to campaign in such a crucial election? Shouldn’t he already be leading from the front?
Even more telling is the meeting’s location. With the farmhouse off-limits to most, why weren’t these discussions held at the BRS party office in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad? It shows how detached KCR has become from the party’s ground-level activity.
If the BRS leadership cites age as a reason for KCR’s absence from the campaign, it’s time to let others take charge leaders who can travel, connect, and work hard across the state.
Between 2018 and 2023, KCR’s style of remote control ruling from a distance and micro-managing his team became one of the biggest reasons voters turned away from BRS. Judging by the current state of affairs, it seems the party hasn’t learned from its mistakes.
