Hyderabad: 48% Turnout in High-Stakes Jubilee Hills Bypoll; Minor Tensions, Cases Filed

Hyderabad, Nov 11: The high-profile by-election to the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency saw a voter turnout of 48.43 per cent on Tuesday, marking a slight rise over the 2023 Assembly election figure. Polling officially ended at 6 p.m., but the final percentage is expected to increase marginally as voters still standing in queues were allowed to cast their ballots.

Spread across 407 polling stations, voting remained largely peaceful, barring a few isolated incidents of tension. The constituency, which includes the affluent Jubilee Hills area along with several middle-class neighbourhoods and slum clusters in central Hyderabad, saw moderate but steady turnout from morning to evening.

The bypoll was necessitated after the death of sitting BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath, and over four lakh voters were eligible to exercise their franchise. Though 58 candidates are in the race, the contest is effectively triangular, with the ruling Congress, the BRS, and the BJP locked in a fierce battle for control of the prestigious seat.

The BRS has fielded Gopinath’s wife, Sunitha, hoping to draw sympathy votes and consolidate loyal supporters. The ruling Congress has put forward Naveen Yadav, while the BJP is banking on repeat candidate Lankala Deepak Reddy in an effort to strengthen its urban footprint. The counting of votes will take place on November 14.

Even as most of the day passed without major disruptions, tensions rose in the evening when BRS candidate Sunitha and party leaders staged protests at a few polling centres, accusing the ruling Congress of rigging and using undue influence. Heated arguments erupted between BRS workers and police officials, though the situation was quickly stabilised by security forces.

In a related development, Hyderabad Police registered three cases for violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). Two cases were filed at Madhuranagar Police Station against Congress MLAs Beerla Ilaiah, Rama Chandra Naik, and Ramdas Maloth. Another case was lodged at Borabanda Police Station against former BRS MLAs Dasyam Vinay Bhaskar and Methuku Anand.

The BRS also lodged complaints with election officials, alleging that Congress legislators from outside the constituency were present near polling stations throughout the day. The party claimed that several MLAs and MLCs of the ruling party had been in Jubilee Hills since Monday, yet the Election Commission failed to direct them to leave the area as required under the MCC.

This by-election also showcased an unprecedented level of surveillance and monitoring. For the first time in the constituency, drones were deployed across all polling stations to provide centralised aerial footage and real-time updates. A fleet of 150 drones was used for the operation, enabling the police to monitor crowd movement, identify bottlenecks, and respond swiftly to emerging situations.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner V. C. Sajjanar oversaw the security arrangements from the state-of-the-art Integrated Police Command and Control Centre, reviewing drone feeds and coordinating with ground teams. Additionally, live webcasting was arranged from all polling stations as part of a multi-layered strategy to ensure transparency, maintain order, and prevent any attempt at malpractice.

With the political stakes high, allegations flying, and technology-driven monitoring in place, all eyes are now on November 14, when the counting of votes will reveal whether Jubilee Hills stays with the BRS or swings towards the Congress or the BJP.