Jubilee Hills bypoll: ECI issues notification; high-stakes contest kicks off

Hyderabad: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday issued the gazette notification for the Jubilee Hills Assembly by-election, formally setting the electoral process in motion.

The bypoll, caused by the death of sitting BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath in June this year following a heart attack, will be held on November 11, and the votes will be counted on November 14.

Nominations open till October 21

As per the election schedule released by the ECI, candidates can file their nominations till October 21 at the Office of the Returning Officer, Shaikpet.

The scrutiny of nominations will be conducted on October 22, while the last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 24, the official notification stated.

Parties gear up for a high-stakes battle

The bypoll is set to witness a fierce triangular contest among the ruling Congress, the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Congress has announced V Naveen Yadav as its candidate, while the BRS has fielded Maganti Sunitha, widow of the late MLA Maganti Gopinath, in an emotional bid to retain the seat.

The BJP is yet to announce its candidate, but party sources indicate internal consultations are underway to field a strong contender.

ECI introduces tech-based monitoring

To ensure free and fair polling, the Election Commission has decided to implement several technology-driven measures during the by-election. These include:

- Affixing colour photographs of candidates on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to help voters identify their choice easily.

- Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based surveillance systems for real-time monitoring of the polling process.

- GPS-enabled tracking of sensitive polling stations to curb any attempts at malpractice.

Political significance of the contest