Congress names Naveen Yadav as candidate for Jubilee Hills bypoll in Hyd

The ruling Congress in Telangana has announced V Naveen Yadav as its candidate for the November 11 bypoll to the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency in Hyderabad.

AICC general secretary KC Venugopal issued a statement on Wednesday (October 8) announcing Naveen Yadav's candidature. The announcement was made two days after Telangana CM Revanth Reddy met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Bengaluru.

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Consolidating BC vote bank

The Congress has reportedly picked Naveen Yadav, a Backward Class (BC) leader, to consolidate its BC vote bank and in line with its commitment to social justice. There were said to have been multiple ticket aspirants from the upper castes to contest from this constituency.

The party reportedly conducted several surveys and sought the opinion of ministers and party in-charges before finalising Yadav’s candidature.

The Congress is hoping to win the Jubilee Hills seat and also the local body polls by virtue of its decision to issue a government order providing 42 per cent reservations to BCs and by picking a BC candidate for the bypoll.

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Yadav joined Congress in 2023

Yadav had contested the 2014 Telangana assembly polls on behalf of Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM and as an independent in the 2018 elections. Yadav (41) had joined the Congress party in 2023.

Significantly, a police case was registered against Naveen Yadav recently for allegedly distributing printed e-EPICs without holograms at an event in Hyderabad.

The bypoll is necessitated due to the demise of BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath following a heart attack in June this year. The BRS has picked Gopinath’s wife Maganti Sunitha Gopinath as its candidate, while the BJP is yet to decide on a candidate.

(With agency inputs)