Jubilee Hills Bypoll Records 48.47% Turnout; Exit Polls Predict Close Contest Between Congress and BRS
PakkaHyderabadi 
Congress, BRS Head for Photo-Finish in Jubilee Hills Bypoll; Turnout Recorded at 48.47%
The high-stakes Jubilee Hills Assembly by-election concluded on Tuesday, November 11, with a voter turnout of 48.47 percent, according to the Election Commission of India. The turnout was lower than the 2023 Assembly election but significant enough to set the stage for a tight finish between the ruling Congress and the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
A Crucial Test for Congress and BRS
The bypoll, which saw 58 candidates in the fray, is viewed as a political barometer for both the ruling Congress and the BRS, which is attempting to reclaim political ground after its 2023 defeat.
The seat fell vacant in June following the death of BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath, whose widow Sunitha Gopinath has been fielded by the party as its candidate. The Congress has put forward Naveen Yadav, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has nominated L Deepak Reddy. The AIMIM officially announced its support for the Congress candidate, giving the ruling party an additional advantage among minority voters.
Exit Polls Indicate Narrow Congress Lead
Multiple exit polls released after voting suggest a photo-finish, with Congress holding a small but consistent edge.
- Congress: 47–48%
- BRS: 41–43%
- BJP: 5–8%
Analysts note that the AIMIM’s endorsement, along with the Congress government’s recent civic initiatives in the constituency, may have influenced voter sentiment.
Constituency Profile
The Jubilee Hills constituency has over 4 lakh registered voters, including a sizeable Muslim population. The constituency is one of Hyderabad’s most diverse zones—spanning high-income neighborhoods, middle-class colonies, and dense urban pockets—which makes voter behavior difficult to predict.
What Exit Polls Represent
Exit polls are conducted by interviewing voters immediately after they leave polling booths and are designed to estimate the direction of the result. While not always exact, they often provide a strong indication of early trends before counting day.
Results on November 14
All eyes will now turn to November 14, when counting begins and the final verdict will be declared. For the Congress, the seat is a prestige battle in Hyderabad, while for the BRS, a win would mark the beginning of a political resurgence.
