Hyderabad: Full-fledged campaigning by all major contenders seems to have had no effect on the Jubilee Hills voters as the turnout was dismal here on Tuesday.

The buzz around elections to the high-profile seat notwithstanding, the voting percentage (from 4,01,365 voters) was a modest 48.49 per cent.

Incidentally, barring the 2014 elections, which registered 56.85 per cent polling, the ones in 2018 and 2023, were less than 50 per cent. It was ditto with the Lok Sabha elections, with voter turnout put at 39.89 per cent in 2019 and 45.59 per cent in 2024.

Incidentally, several booths wore a deserted look and only a few divisions saw long queues of voters after polling began promptly at 7 am. It was a huge letdown compared to the enthusiastic presence during road shows, corner meetings and public meetings that were organised by top leaders from all three major parties.

According to the Election Commission, the recorded turnout was 9.2 per cent by 9 am and 48.49 per cent at the time of closing.

The Jubilee Hills by-election was necessitated following the death of the incumbent BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath. Although 58 candidates were in the fray, it was basically a triangular contest between Mangati Sunitha (BRS), V Naveen Yadav (Congress) and Lanka Deepak Reddy from the BJP.

Technical glitches in EVMs were reported at several polling booths, including Shaikpet, Rahmatnagar, Erragadda, Vengalrao Nagar, and Borabanda areas, causing inconvenience to voters.

Polling came to a halt at Borabanda due to a technical snag, leaving voters waiting in long queues.

Meanwhile, the Auto Drivers’ Union organised free service to help voters reach their polling stations and 150 auto-rickshaws were deployed for senior citizens, persons with disabilities and new mothers.

As usual, there were clashes between workers and cadre of political parties in most of the polling stations. Tension was palpable in some areas with polling agents levelling allegations of bogus voting, or party workers exchanging expletives. There was a clash between Congress and BRS workers at Polling Booth No. 120 in Vengal Rao Nagar, and at booths in Rahmath Nagar, Borabanda and Shaikpet areas. However, police controlled the situation.