Jubilee Hills sees low voter turnout despite all efforts by EC

Hyderabad, Nov 12 (IANS) Telangana's Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency recorded 48.49 per cent polling in the by-election held on Tuesday as all the efforts by election authorities to encourage higher voter participation failed to yield desired results.

The returning officer on Wednesday announced the final poll percentage.

At 6 p.m. on Tuesday, when the polling came to an end, 48.43 per cent voter turnout was recorded. However, the voters standing in queues at polling booths were allowed to cast their votes.

Despite the best efforts by the election authorities, the final polling percentage did not cross 50 per cent, though it is slightly higher than the figure of the 2023 Assembly elections, when 47.58 per cent of voters had cast their votes.

Ever since its formation in 2009, the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency has recorded relatively low voter turnout in successive polls. In 2009, the polling percentage was 52.76, the highest so far.

The voter turnout dropped to 50.18 per cent in 2014, fell further to 45.59 per cent in 2018, but rose slightly to 47.58 per cent in the 2023 elections.

The District Election Office (DEO) made intensified efforts to boost voter turnout, and the officials were optimistic that turnout could reach 60 per cent.

The polling authorities conducted a series of targeted awareness campaigns and initiatives aimed at encouraging greater voter participation. The voters were informed about the polling process and the importance of exercising their franchise.

However, the final polling percentage was far below the expectations of the election authorities.

A disappointing aspect of the bypoll was Tollywood celebrities staying away from the polling.

A few film personalities, including veteran actor Tanikella Bharani, celebrated filmmaker SS Rajamouli, and actor Gopichand, cast their votes, but the industry bigwigs were missing.

Superstar Chiranjeevi and popular stars like Nagarjuna, Venkatesh, Junior NTR, Ramcharan, Allu Arjun, who had cast their votes in the past and appealed to all voters to come forward to exercise their franchise, stayed away this time.

Jubilee Hills is considered the hub of the Telugu film industry as leading film studios and offices of various associations of artistes, producers and others are located here. Many top actors, directors and producers have their houses in the constituency.

Film Nagar, Krishnanagar, Srinagar Colony, Rahmath Nagar, and Yousufguda areas have a significant number of film artistes.

Though the constituency got its name from the posh Jubilee Hills, it has many middle-class, weaker-section colonies and slums.

Barring minor incidents, the polling had remained peaceful in all 407 polling stations in the constituency.

Little over 4 lakh voters were eligible to exercise their franchise in the byelection, caused by the death of sitting MLA Maganti Gopinath of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

A total of 58 candidates are in the fray, but the main contest is among the ruling Congress party and the opposition BRS and the BJP.

The BRS has fielded Gopinath’s wife, Sunitha, while Naveen Yadav entered the fray on a Congress ticket. The BJP has once again fielded Lankala Deepak Reddy.

The counting of votes will be taken up on November 14.

Though many exit polls predicted a win for Congress, the BRS and BJP were confident of winning the seat.

--IANS

ms/vd