Jubilee Hills Bypoll Begins: Voting Underway in Hyd

Polling for the Jubilee Hills by-election has started and will continue until 6 PM today. Around 4 lakh voters are expected to cast their votes across 407 polling stations. The bypoll was necessitated after the death of sitting MLA Maganti Gopinath from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

Although 58 candidates are in the fray, the main contest is between three key contenders: Maganti Sunitha from BRS (wife of late Maganti Gopinath), Naveen Yadav from the Congress, and Lankala Deepak Reddy representing the BJP. The counting of votes will take place on November 14.

Voter turnout in Jubilee Hills has been relatively low in past elections. It was 50.18% in 2014, 45.59% in 2018, and 47.58% in 2023. During Lok Sabha elections, the participation was even lower, with only 39.89% in 2019 and 45.59% in 2024.

Local media reports suggest that major parties have gone all out to woo voters. One party is said to have distributed around ₹2,500 per vote, while another initially offered ₹1,000 and later doubled it after competitors increased their rate. Sources also claim that one group provided around 35,000 families with cookers, while another distributed silk sarees worth ₹1,000 each to about one lakh women. A third party reportedly handed out ₹2,500 in some areas.

For both KCR and Revanth Reddy, this bypoll holds crucial political importance. The final verdict will be known on November 14, but exit polls are expected to give an early indication of who might emerge as the winner.