HYDERABAD: With the completion of the fiercely contested Jubilee Hills Assembly bypoll on Tuesday, most exit polls predicted a victory for the ruling Congress, with a margin of around three to seven per cent. However, a couple of surveys gave an edge to the BRS.
Barring a few sporadic incidents, polling was largely peaceful, with nearly 50% of the 3.99 lakh eligible voters exercising their franchise. However, both the Congress and the BRS traded accusations of violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and distributing money to influence voters.
In the evening, mild tension broke out in Yousufguda when BRS candidate Maganti Sunitha and supporters of Congress candidate Naveen Yadav came close to clashing. Some Congress supporters even brandished footwear at Sunitha as she attempted to highlight alleged irregularities by Congress workers. Police intervened promptly and dispersed both groups.
Cases were registered against several leaders, including Beerla Iliah, Ramchander Naik, Maloth Ramdas, Dasyam Vinay Bhasker and Methuku Anand, for poll code violations. Police also filed cases against non-locals who were supporting the candidates.