Hyderabad Byelection: Heavy Security, Drone Surveillance as Jubilee Hills Votes Today

Hyderabad, Nov 2025 : Polling began on Tuesday morning in the crucial byelection for the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency, with tight security arrangements and advanced surveillance systems in place to ensure peaceful voting. Polling started at 7 a.m. across all 407 polling stations located within the high-profile constituency, which includes some of Hyderabad’s most affluent neighbourhoods as well as several densely populated middle-class colonies and slum areas.

The byelection was necessitated following the death of sitting MLA Maganti Gopinath of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). More than 4 lakh voters are eligible to cast their ballots today.

58 Candidates, but a Three-Cornered Contest

A total of 58 candidates are contesting, though the real battle is primarily between the ruling Congress, the BRS, and the BJP.

• The BRS has fielded Sunitha Gopinath, wife of the late MLA.
• The Congress is represented by Naveen Yadav, hoping to capitalise on the party’s heightened presence in the state.
• The BJP has once again chosen Lankala Deepak Reddy, aiming to expand its urban voter base.

Sunitha Gopinath was among the earliest voters, casting her vote at Yellareddyguda in Srinagar Colony. After voting, she urged residents to participate actively in the democratic process.

Polling Till 6 p.m.; Voters in Queue Will Be Allowed

Chief Electoral Officer C. Sudharshan Reddy confirmed that voting will continue till 6 p.m., and all voters standing in queues at that time will be permitted to vote. He said the Election Commission had made comprehensive arrangements to ensure smooth, free, and fair polling throughout the day.

First-Time Use of Drones for Surveillance

In a first for Hyderabad byelections, drone surveillance is being used across all polling stations.

• 139 drones have been deployed for aerial monitoring and real-time situation analysis.
• These drones will oversee the 407 polling stations housed in 139 buildings, giving officials a bird’s-eye view to detect disturbances quickly.

A special control room has been set up at the GHMC head office to monitor drone feeds and provide immediate response capabilities.

Webcasting and Tight Security Measures

Hyderabad District Election Officer R.V. Karnan said that live webcasting is being conducted from every polling station to maintain law and order and ensure transparency.

Security has been intensified at 226 critical polling stations identified across 65 locations. Paramilitary forces, including personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), have been deployed in 68 of these locations.

In total, 1,761 police personnel are on duty, supported by local police teams and rapid response units.

Polling Personnel and EVM Arrangements

A workforce of 2,060 polling staff, including 515 polling officers and 515 assistant officers, has been deployed.

Given the unusually large number of candidates, each polling station is equipped with an expanded Electronic Voting Machine setup consisting of:

• 1 Control Unit (CU)
• 4 Ballot Units (BUs)
• 1 VVPAT

Overall, the commission has deployed 561 CUs, 2,394 BUs, and 595 VVPATs.

To maintain security and prevent misuse of electronic devices, mobile phone counters have been arranged outside each polling station.

Voter Demographics

Jubilee Hills constituency has 4,01,365 registered voters, comprising:

• 2,08,561 males
• 1,92,779 females
• 25 others

The constituency includes 6,859 first-time voters aged 18–19 and 2,134 senior citizens above 85 years. The Election Office also set up postal ballot facilities for 103 absentee voters (senior citizens above 85 and people with disabilities). Of these, 101 voters successfully cast their ballot through the postal system.

With security tightened, drones in the sky, and high public interest, today’s polling is expected to see brisk participation as Jubilee Hills decides its next representative.

Team Maverick