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Just four days ahead of Hyderabad’s Jubilee Hills bypoll, Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader Harish Rao told TNM that residents will vote for BRS if they don’t want a repeat of the Secunderabad Cantonment bypolls.
The BRS stalwart, who is also the Siddipet MLA, was addressing the media at the Somajiguda Press Club on Friday, November 7.
Harish spoke about how BRS’ chances of winning the Jubilee Hills bypoll are strong, considering the delay in pensions, the issue with fee reimbursement, the civic issues and other concerns plaguing the constituency. The polls are scheduled for November 11.
When asked about whether voters are likely to support the ruling party because it seems like a more pragmatic choice, Harish brought up the Secunderabad Cantonment. “Hukumat main Congress ki sarkar hain. (Congress is ruling the state). But they have lost control of the government,” he told TNM.
“Look at what happened in Secunderabad Cantonment. They promise a sports stadium and better roads. Neither of those things have happened. The Cantonment is full of pot holes. When we were campaigning in Jubilee Hills, we realised that several basti dawakhanas (local dispensaries) employees’ were not paid and the medicines weren’t available either,” he added.
The BRS leader was referencing the 2024 bypoll in Secunderabad Cantonment that was necessitated by the death of BRS MLA Lasya Nanditha. The bypoll resulted in a Congress victory with Sri Ganesh, the incumbent Congress MLA winning with 40.86% of the vote share.
“We don’t have the state machinery but we can raise our voice. Ensure that medicines are made available and if the Congress government’s HYDRAA proceeds with more unfair demolitions, we will speak against it and ensure that the public is served,” Harish Rao said.