The race for the ninth captaincy in Bigg Boss Telugu 9 turned out to be one of the most dramatic tasks of the season. With six contenders — Divya, Suman Shetty, Tanuja, Ritu, Emmanuel, and Bharani — battling fiercely, alliances shifted rapidly, friendships broke, and emotions ran high throughout the episode.
Strategy Before the Storm
The day began with the contenders strategizing about how to tackle the captaincy rounds. Emmanuel, Suman, and Divya discussed how they might be targeted for having already been captains earlier. They planned to defend their positions while arguing that the others were yet to prove themselves in leadership roles.
Train Task: The Way to Captaincy
Bigg Boss introduced the “Train Task,” a mix of strategy and luck. Two trains were set up, and non-contenders had to compete to become drivers. Once the drivers were chosen, contenders could decide which train to board. However, the twist was that the driver of the chosen train had the power to eliminate one contender from their train.
In the first round, Ramu and Nikhil became the drivers. Bharani and Ramu boarded Ramu’s train, while the rest went with Nikhil. Bigg Boss announced that Ramu’s train would move, and he had to eliminate one contender. Despite his friendship with Bharani, Ramu chose to eliminate him to keep his promise to Tanuja — a move that visibly pained him. Bharani responded gracefully to this.
In the second round, Sai became the driver, and all contenders boarded his train. After much hesitation, dilly dallying and several name changes, he finally eliminated Divya, leading to heated arguments and emotional outbursts.
In the third round, Nikhil and Sanjana were the drivers. Suman and Tanuja joined Nikhil, while Emmanuel and Ritu boarded Sanjana’s train. Nikhil’s train was selected to move, and he eliminated Suman.
Injury and Emotional Outburst
At this point, Ritu, Tanuja, and Emmanuel remained in the race. Tanuja and Ritu requested Kalyan to target Emmanuel in the next round. Bigg Boss then announced a major twist — a single final round with only one train. After an intense competition, Divya won the driver’s position, despite Tanuja getting injured during the task.
To everyone’s shock, Divya eliminated Tanuja. Tanuja burst into tears, accusing Divya of personal bias and bringing up Bharani’s name in frustration. Kalyan confronted Divya for breaking her promise not to eliminate Tanuja, while Bharani criticized her for shouting at him publicly.
Final Showdown: Ritu vs. Emmanuel
Bigg Boss gave one last challenge between Ritu and Emmanuel — a puzzle task involving mental and analytical skills. They had to count items and lock the correct number. Emmanuel completed the task first, securing the captaincy for the third time.
Though Emmanuel emerged as the captain once again, this victory did not carry the usual celebration. Many housemates appeared visibly unhappy, and murmurs of favoritism filled the air. With Tanuja hurt and tensions running high, Bigg Boss 9’s captaincy race proved that every win comes with emotional scars inside the house.
