Hyderabad, Nov 11 (PTI) The by-election to the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency here, crucial for the ruling Congress and also BRS, was held peacefully on Tuesday with a meagre 48.47 per cent of voters exercising their franchise.
State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) C Sudharshan Reddy told PTI that the polling was peaceful.
Asked about the complaints received from the Congress and BRS, he said they were reported to police, who acted on them immediately.
Police cases were booked against MLAs and other leaders for the violation of Model Code of Conduct, he said.
The BRS and Congress submitted complaints to the CEO against each other with allegations of violating MCC.
The BRS leaders said that non-local Congress leaders, who were camping in the constituency, were trying to influence voters, according to a party release.
The Congress stated that the BRS candidate Maganti Sunita held a press conference on polling day in violation of rules and that former BRS MLAs K Chander and Dasyam Vinay Bhaskar, who are not residents of Jubilee Hills, were campaigning and influencing voters.
Hyderabad Police said cases were registered against three sitting MLAs and two former MLAs for allegedly violating the MCC during the polling.
Two cases were registered at the Madhuranagar Police Station against Congress MLAs Beerla Ilaiah, Ramachandranayak, and Ramdas, a police release said.
One case has been registered at the Borabanda Police Station against former BRS MLAs Dasyam Vinay Bhaskar and others.
Hyderabad Commissioner of Police V C Sajjanar, inspected the polling progress of the bypoll from the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) and also monitored the situation at various polling stations using drones.
Sajjanar said this is the first time in the country that the voting process is being supervised using drone technology for this election.
He said a total of 150 drone cameras were used as per the directions of the Election Commission.
Meanwhile, BRS candidate Maganti Sunita held a dharna at a polling booth at Krishna Nagar alleging that Congress workers were casting votes using fake identity cards.
However, the grand old party submitted a complaint to the CEO alleging that Sunita and other BRS leaders threatened party leaders who were at the office of Congress candidate Naveen Yadav.
BRS MLC Sravan Dasoju alleged that the Congress government is misusing power and indulging in “bogus voting” due to fear of losing the bypoll.
Voters were sent inside a polling booth at Shaikpet without voter identity cards being verified, he claimed.
The bypoll was necessitated due to the death of BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath in June this year.
The BJP fielded L Deepak Reddy, while Gopinath’s widow Sunita is the BRS candidate. The ruling Congress candidate Naveen Yadav enjoys the support of Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM.
Though the bypoll result would have no bearing on the stability of the Congress government, the outcome would be seen as a referendum on CM Revanth Reddy’s performance.
The election outcome is crucial as the ruling Congress is steadfast in its goal to further strengthen its electoral hold.
The main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) is looking to retain the seat and make a bounce back after its rout in the 2023 Lok Sabha polls, preceded by its shock defeat in the 2023 assembly polls.
The BJP was keen on emerging as an alternative to the BRS and Congress.
The counting of votes would be taken up on November 14. PTI SJR VVK SJR KH
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