Hyderabad: Polling for the Jubilee Hills Assembly by-election, considered a major test of popularity for the Telangana Congress government, concluded peacefully on Tuesday evening. Voting officially ended at 6 p.m., though officials confirmed that voters already in queues at polling stations at that time were allowed to cast their ballots.
According to the Election Commission, the voter turnout stood at 47.16% till 5 p.m., with final figures expected to rise slightly once all votes are accounted for. Polling began at 7 a.m. and continued throughout the day without major disruptions across most parts of the constituency.
The by-election was necessitated by the death of BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath in June this year. The contest turned into a three-way fight among the ruling Congress, the BJP, and the BRS.
However, a brief tense situation arose at a polling station in Yusufguda, where workers of the Congress and BRS allegedly clashed. Both sides accused each other of engaging in bogus voting, prompting police intervention to restore order. The situation was brought under control shortly thereafter.
Meanwhile, BRS candidate Maganti Sunitha staged a sit-in protest (dharna) at the polling site, alleging that Congress supporters were indulging in electoral malpractice. Police officials managed to disperse the crowd and ensured that polling resumed smoothly.
Officials later confirmed that the polling process across the rest of the constituency remained largely peaceful. The counting of votes is scheduled to take place on November 14.