Polling begins for Jubilee Hills by-election in Hyderabad
HYDERABAD: Polling began for the Jubilee Hills by-election on Tuesday morning and will continue until 6pm. Around 4.01 lakh voters are expected to cast their votes across 407 polling stations set up in the constituency.
The bypoll was necessitated following the death of Maganti Gopinath of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
Three-way contest among key candidates
Although 58 candidates are in the fray, the main contest is between Sunitha Maganti (BRS), Naveen Yadav (Congress) and Lankala Deepak Reddy (Bharatiya Janata Party). Counting of votes will take place on November 14.
Voter turnout likely to be decisive
Polling percentage in Jubilee Hills has been relatively low in previous elections 50.18% in 2014, 45.59% in 2018, and 47.58% in 2023. In parliamentary polls, voter participation in this assembly segment was 39.89% in 2019 and 45.59% in 2024.
EVM glitches reported in several divisions
Technical snags were reported in Shaikpet, Erragadda, Borabanda, Vengalrao Nagar and Rehmatnagar divisions, causing long queues and frustration among voters.
At booth number 30 in Shaikpet division, polling began late due to EVM failure. In Rehmatnagar (Division 165), the first machine malfunctioned, and the replacement unit also failed to function, leading to nearly an hour-long delay as voters waited in queue lines.
Polling staff said EVM problems were reported from about 11 locations, including urban clusters with high voter density. Election officials were seen checking machines and coordinating replacements with engineers from the Election Commission.
Filmmaker Rajamouli and wife cast votes
Celebrated filmmaker S S Rajamouli and his wife Rama Rajamouli exercised their franchise at booth number 28 in Shaikpet division. The couple arrived early in the morning and cast their votes amid tight security.
BJP candidate Lanka Deepak Reddy, former DGP Jitender among early voters
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Lanka Deepak Reddy cast his vote at Srinagar Colony. Former Director General of Police Jitender voted at Venkata Giri Nazar School.
AV Ranganath votes in Jubilee Hills bypoll
Commissioner of the HYDRAA A V Ranganath cast his vote in the Jubilee Hills Assembly by-election on Monday.
Ranganath, along with his family, exercised his franchise at polling booth number 132 set up at Sreenidhi Vishwabharati High School in Madhura Nagar.
Speaking to the media, he said that voting is every citizen’s responsibility. “We must make proper use of our vote and not waste it,” he said, urging young voters to prioritise casting their ballots before attending to other activities.
He further advised citizens not to neglect their voting rights, stressing that active participation strengthens democracy.
Tanikella Bharani casts vote in Jubilee Hills
Senior Telugu actor Tanikella Bharani cast his vote at the Government High School in Yousufguda on Tuesday morning.
Several film and political personalities were seen exercising their franchise in the Jubilee Hills constituency. Polling continued steadily through the morning across Hyderabad’s urban segments, where many celebrities queued up to vote.
20.76% turnout recorded till 11 am
Despite the technical delays, voter participation was steady through the morning.
According to official data, 20.76% of the 4.01 lakh voters had cast their votes by 11 am across 407 polling stations in the constituency.
The pace increased later, reaching 31.94% by 1pm, according to Election Commission data.
Actor Gopichand votes in Srinagar Colony
Actor Gopichand also cast his vote for the by-election at the Mahila Samaj polling station in Srinagar Colony. He arrived early, exercised his franchise quietly, and left after completing the process. Polling in the area has remained peaceful throughout the day.
47.16% turnout by 5pm
Out of 4.01 lakh registered voters, 47.16% had exercised their franchise by 5pm. Polling, which ends at 6pm, saw increased participation in the afternoon hours, following a slow start and early EVM-related delays.
48.42% turnout by 6pm
By the end of polling hours, 48.42% of the 4.01 lakh registered voters had cast their votes. Election officials said those standing in queues after 6pm were allowed to cast their votes, as per standard procedure.
