81 nominations found valid for Jubilee Hills bypoll, 130 rejected

The Election Commission has accepted 81 nominations for the upcoming Jubilee Hills Assembly bypoll, while rejecting 130 during the scrutiny process, officials said on Thursday.

A total of 321 nomination papers were filed by 211 candidates, with several individuals submitting multiple sets. The scrutiny of papers, which began on Wednesday, resulted in 81 valid nominations and 130 rejections, according to an official release.

The last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 24. The bypoll for the high-profile Jubilee Hills constituency will be held on November 11, and counting of votes will take place on November 14.

The by-election was necessitated following the death of BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath in June this year due to a heart attack.

The ruling Congress has nominated V. Naveen Yadav as its candidate, while the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has fielded Maganti Sunitha, the widow of the late MLA. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced Lankala Deepak Reddy as its candidate.

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has declared his party’s support for Congress nominee Naveen Yadav in the bypoll.

The Election Commission has also introduced several new measures to ensure free and fair polling. These include affixing colour photographs of candidates on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), deploying Artificial Intelligence-based surveillance, and using GPS-enabled systems to monitor sensitive polling stations and prevent malpractice.

The high number of nominations - 321 papers from 211 candidates - shows a mix of factors. On one hand, it reflects increased political interest in the Jubilee Hills constituency, with many independents and smaller parties eager to participate and make their presence felt. On the other hand, the large number of filings could also be an attempt by some to crowd the ballot and create confusion among voters, especially when candidates with similar names or symbols appear, which can sometimes split votes or mislead the electorate.

The rejection of 130 nominations was mainly due to candidates not meeting the required rules. Common reasons include incomplete forms, missing signatures of proposers, non-submission of affidavits declaring assets or criminal cases, and failure to pay the security deposit. Some candidates also filed multiple sets with inconsistent details, which led to disqualification. These strict checks by the Election Commission ensure that only eligible and properly documented candidates appear on the final ballot, helping maintain a fair and transparent election process.