226 sensitive polling stations identified for Jubilee Hills bypoll, says Hyderabad DEO
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad District Election Officer and GHMC Commissioner, R.V. Karnan, announced that 226 of the 407 polling stations in the Jubilee Hills bypoll are sensitive. He explained that the Election Department will use four ballot units because of the large number of candidates contesting.
During a press conference on Sunday, Karnan and Hyderabad Joint Commissioner of Police Tafseer Iqbal reviewed all election arrangements. Karnan stated that officials had completed the setup and trained the entire polling staff. Moreover, he said the bypoll will take place in 407 polling stations spread across 139 locations. The constituency has 4,01,365 registered voters.
Jubilee Hills bypoll to be held under tight security
To increase voter turnout, the Election Department extended the polling hours. Consequently, voters arriving before 6 p.m. will still be allowed to cast their vote, with polling starting at 7 a.m. sharp.
Karnan said the Kotla Vijayabhaskar Reddy Stadium will serve as the Distribution, Reception and Counting Centre (DRC). The facility, he added, will operate under a three-tier security system. Even though the campaign period officially ended, candidates can still conduct door-to-door canvassing in line with Election Commission guidelines.
In addition, each of the 139 polling areas will feature a drone for aerial surveillance. The drones will monitor movements outside polling centres, while webcasting will record proceedings inside from 6 a.m. until voting concludes. Furthermore, GHMC’s central control room will review live footage throughout the day to ensure the process remains peaceful.
1,761 police deployed for Jubilee Hills bypoll
Joint Commissioner Tafseer Iqbal confirmed that police deployed 1,761 personnel for election duty. He noted that officers seized ₹3.5 crore in cash and later released ₹2.11 crore after verification. In addition, police booked 27 Model Code of Conduct cases and 2,600 other election-related cases.
He further said that police bound over 230 rowdy sheeters to prevent disturbances. After the campaign ended, authorities ordered non-local residents in the constituency to vacate immediately. Moreover, liquor shops will remain closed from Sunday evening until November 11 evening. The ban will again take effect on November 14 until the counting process finishes.
Karnan said 103 voters have already exercised their right through postal ballots. Therefore, he stressed that the administration intends to conduct the bypoll in a transparent and peaceful manner.