In a decisive victory for the ruling Congress in Telangana, V. Naveen Yadav clinched the Jubilee Hills by-election on Friday with a commanding lead of over 24,000 votes against his closest rival, BRS candidate Maganti Sunitha. Yadav secured 98,988 votes, while Sunitha received 74,259 votes, marking a strong endorsement of Congress’ political momentum in the state. BJP candidate Lankala Deepak Reddy managed just 17,061 votes, resulting in the forfeiture of his security deposit. The bypoll, held due to the death of sitting BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath in June, saw an unusually high number of contestants with 58 candidates in the fray.

The Congress camp erupted in celebrations at Gandhi Bhavan and its Yousufguda office as Naveen Yadav’s victory margin continued to widen through each round of counting. TPCC president B. Mahesh Kumar Goud termed the win a strong public endorsement of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s governance and welfare initiatives. He also noted that voters had once again rejected the BRS, which had already drawn a blank in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. With AIMIM extending support to the Congress in this by-election, several exit polls had already hinted at a favourable outcome, further strengthening the ruling party’s confidence ahead of the formal announcement.

The by-election recorded a voter turnout of 48.49%, with a total of 1,94,631 votes cast across the Jubilee Hills constituency. According to Chief Electoral Officer C. Sudharshan Reddy, the electorate included 2,08,561 men, 1,92,779 women, and 25 others, of which 99,771 men and 94,855 women exercised their right to vote. The constituency also saw participation from 103 absentee voters — those above 85 years of age and persons with disabilities — with 101 successfully using the postal ballot system. As the Congress consolidates its influence in urban constituencies like Jubilee Hills, the victory further strengthens its position and highlights growing voter satisfaction with the Reddy government’s performance.