Hyderabad: The counting of votes for the Jubilee Hills by-election in Telangana has begun at the Kotla Vijayabhaskar Reddy Indoor Stadium in Yusufguda. A total of 42 counting tables have been set up to process votes from 407 polling stations. The by-election is being closely watched as a key contest for both the ruling Congress government and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
Congress Takes Early Lead in Postal Ballots
Counting began with postal ballots, and Congress has taken an early lead. Out of 109 postal ballots, 103 have been counted so far, with Congress candidate Naveen Yadav ahead of BRS’s Sunita Manganti.
EVM Counting Underway
The Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) counting started at 9:05 AM in the Sheikpet division, where Congress maintained its lead in the first round. Naveen Yadav received 8,926 votes against BRS candidate Sunita Manganti’s 8,864 votes, giving him a lead of 62 votes. Each counting round is expected to take approximately 30–45 minutes.
High Security and Detailed Procedure
The counting process is being conducted under tight security, with Section 144 in force to prevent any untoward incidents. With 58 candidates contesting, the count will proceed in 10 rounds, and the final result is expected by around 2 PM, though it may extend to 4 PM due to VVPAT verification or complaints.
Candidates in the Fray
The key contest is among Congress, BRS, and BJP candidates:
- Naveen Yadav – Congress (Hastam Party)
- Sunita Manganti – BRS (Karu Party)
- Deepak Reddy – BJP (Kamalam Party)
Other candidates are also contesting, but the main competition is expected between these three. Both Yadav and Manganti performed special prayers at local temples before the counting, expressing confidence in their victory.
Background of the Seat
The Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency was formed in 2009 during the delimitation in the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh. In the first election, Vishnuvardhan Reddy of Congress won, and post-Telangana formation, Manganti Gopinath won consecutively three times from 2014 until his untimely demise, which triggered this by-election.
What Happens Next
Once all rounds of counting are complete, the Returning Officer will issue the victory certificate. Any objections will be resolved by counting VVPAT slips, ensuring transparency and fairness. Election results will be updated regularly on the Election Commission’s website.
As of the first round, Congress appears ahead, but the final outcome is expected to be declared in the coming hours, keeping Telangana’s political corridors on edge.
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