Telangana State BJP president N Ramchander Rao has sharply criticised Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s remarks aimed at attracting Muslim votes, alleging that the comments “exposed the true face of the Congress party’s divisive and appeasement politics”.
Rao said the Chief Minister had claimed that Muslims enjoy respect and continued existence because of the Congress and that without the party they would have no support. He asserted that such comments once again proved the Congress “only believes in religion-based vote-bank politics” and represented a dangerous attempt to create social differences for political gain.
During a roadshow on November 4, CM Revanth Reddy in an appeal to Muslim voters, have stated, “Your presence is because the Congress stands with you. You have dignity because Congress stands with you. Without Congress, you would have nothing.”
His remarks come at a time when the ruling Congress party is putting its full organisational weight behind the Jubilee Hills by-election campaign, with the constituency seen as a crucial prestige battle for the Congress.
For decades, Congress survived on dividing communities and now CM Revanth Reddy just proved it again!
Hindus of Jubilee Hills have seen, heard, and remembered every word.
They’ll respond on 11th Nov through the power of the Ballot. 🗳️#JubileeHillsBypoll#JubileeHillsWithBJP pic.twitter.com/GauwJXlxIF
— N Ramchander Rao (@N_RamchanderRao) November 5, 2025
The BJP leader further alleged that the Congress was seeking the support of “20 per cent Muslims by neglecting the sentiments of 80 per cent Hindus”, questioning whether this could be called secularism. Stating that the electorate would deliver a strong message in the Jubilee Hills by-election, Rao dared the Chief Minister to publicly say if his party did not need Hindu votes. He argued that genuine progress for the Muslim community required education, employment, and economic empowerment, not selective benefits, and accused the Congress of treating Muslims as a vote bank “from the beginning”.
Rao also condemned what he described as the Chief Minister’s threats to cancel ration cards, fine rice distribution, and free bus benefits for those who did not vote for the ruling party in the Jubilee Hills by-poll, calling it an affront to democracy and the freedom of voters. He asserted that the BJP stood with the people and was emerging as a unifying force across the nation, expressing confidence that the party would win the by-election.
As the Jubilee Hills campaign intensifies, the Congress government has inducted senior leader Mohd Azharuddin into the cabinet despite his not holding any constitutional position as MLA or MLC, a move widely viewed as aimed at shoring up minority support. Political observers note that the ruling party is deploying its full strength in the constituency.
Critics argue that Congress has historically focused on appeasing Muslim voters rather than pursuing broad-based development, seeing the community as a consolidated vote bank and offering targeted benefits and religiously oriented policies to secure electoral loyalty. According to this perspective, such politics discourages assertive responses to Islamist radicalism, weakens accountability, and prioritises electoral gain over a “nation first” approach, with reference often made to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s past remarks on prioritising Muslims.
