Jubilee Hills Bypoll on Nov 11; Triangular Fight Between Cong, BRS, BJP
According to the schedule, the notification will be issued on October 13 and the last date for filing nominations is October 21.
Hyderabad: The Election Commission of India on Monday announced that the highly anticipated byelection to the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency here will be held on November 11, with counting of votes scheduled for November 14. The bypoll was necessitated by the death of BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath in June.
According to the schedule, the notification will be issued on October 13 and the last date for filing nominations is October 21. Scrutiny will take place on October 22 and withdrawal of candidature is permitted till October 24. The election process will be completed by November 16. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) C. Sudharshan Reddy said the commission was making all arrangements to ensure a free, fair and peaceful poll and urged voters to verify their names in the electoral rolls and participate in the democratic process.
Elections will be conducted using electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) systems in all polling stations. The CEO said adequate numbers of tested EVMs have been readied. Voters can produce their Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) or approved identification documents including Aadhaar, driving licence, passport, PAN card or pension papers at polling stations.
The model code of conduct has come into immediate effect in Hyderabad district. The commission directed all candidates and political parties to publish details of criminal antecedents of their respective contestants in newspapers, television and digital platforms to ensure transparency. “The Election Commission is committed to conducting the Jubilee Hills byelection with neutrality, transparency and efficiency,” CEO Sudharshan Reddy said.
The bypoll is shaping up as a triangular contest between the Congress, BRS which held the seat and the BJP. The BRS was the first to name its candidate, fielding Sunitha, wife of the late MLA Maganti Gopinath. Congress and BJP are yet to declare their nominees and are awaiting clearance from their respective high commands.
Gopinath won the Jubilee Hills seat thrice in a row — in 2014 on a TD ticket and in 2018 and 2023 with the BRS. The BRS is banking on the sympathy factor to retain the seat and has launched a door-to-door “Congress baki card” campaign listing what it calls the government’s failure to deliver on promises to students, women, the unemployed and autorickshaw drivers.
The Congress is countering this by promising large-scale development and assured funds over the next three years to transform the constituency. The BJP, meanwhile, is seeking to corner both parties by highlighting what it calls the failures of the decade-long BRS regime and two years of Congress rule.
