The Bharatiya Janata Party’s campaign in the Jubilee Hills assembly by-election, which had hitherto been a lacklustre affair, picked up momentum suddenly on Friday with the entry of firebrand leader Bandi Sanjay Kumar.
Once he entered the scene, the political atmosphere changed dramatically.
The campaign, which had so far revolved around routine developmental and local issues, suddenly took a sharp turn — veering towards religious and identity politics.
This development has once again exposed the stark contrast between Bandi Sanjay and other leaders like G Kishan Reddy and N Ramachandra Rao.
Despite having secured a considerable vote share in Jubilee Hills during the Lok Sabha elections — largely attributed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal — the BJP’s by-election campaign had so far appeared dull and disorganized.
According to political analysts, ever since Bandi Sanjay was removed as the state BJP chief and Kishan Reddy was reinstated, there have been murmurs that the change was made to please K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR).
Kishan Reddy’s perceived soft approach and delayed campaign planning have further fuelled speculation of an unspoken BJP–BRS understanding aimed at preventing Congress from consolidating the opposition vote.
No major star campaigners had been fielded so far. Only a handful of local workers had been quietly working at the ground level.
The campaign gained visibility only when Bandi Sanjay — denied permission to hold a rally in Borabanda — announced defiantly that he would go ahead “come what may.” Eventually, permission was granted.
While the BRS and Congress were focusing on securing Muslim votes, Bandi Sanjay has launched a contrasting narrative, aggressively appealing to Hindu sentiment.
His rhetoric has reintroduced the familiar, high-voltage Hindutva tone that had previously energized BJP’s base in Telangana.
“If the day comes when I have to wear a cap and beg for votes, I’d rather slit my throat. I am a Hindu — I won’t insult my faith by wearing a skull cap or offering fake namaz for votes,” Sanjay said in his fiery speech.
He even revived the symbolism of Bhagyalakshmi temple near Charminar, a site that had become synonymous with his earlier rise in state politics.
Taking direct aim at the Congress and AIMIM, he thundered: “Owaisi says even if Rao or Reddy comes to power, they must listen to him. Are the Congressmen such cowards? Do you have the courage to make your Azharuddin chant Ganesh mantras? Can you take Owaisi’s brothers to the Bhagyalakshmi temple and make them sing the Goddess’s song?”
Such statements have electrified sections of the BJP cadre — and equally alarmed rival parties who now find themselves on the defensive.
Bandi Sanjay also capitalized swiftly on emotional developments in the constituency.
Referring to the statement made by Maganti Gopinath’s mother, who blamed K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) for her son’s death, Sanjay accused KTR of being “responsible” and challenged chief minister Revanth Reddy to order a full inquiry.
“If Revanth has courage, he must order a thorough investigation into Gopinath’s death,” Sanjay said — an apparent bid to neutralize sympathy votes that the BRS hoped to gain through the incident.
His intervention has complicated the BRS’s campaign strategy, which had been banking on an emotional wave in Gopinath’s memory.
Bandi Sanjay’s resurgence has re-energized BJP cadres but also polarized the campaign. Analysts suggest his rhetoric could hurt the BRS more than the Congress, potentially aiding the latter by dividing non-Congress votes.
Bandi Sanjay’s campaign style — aggressive, confrontational, and unapologetically communal — has jolted an otherwise sluggish BJP campaign into action.
Whether it transforms into actual votes remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the Jubilee Hills by-election has heated up, and the religion factor has firmly taken centre stage in Telangana’s political theatre.
