Why Were 130 Candidates' Nominations Rejected in the Jubilee Hills By-Election?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- 130 candidate nominations rejected for the Jubilee Hills by-election.
- Only 81 out of 211 nominations were accepted.
- Allegations against BRS candidate Maganti Sunitha concerning her affidavit.
- Polling set for November 11, with counting on November 14.
- Public protests highlight community discontent.
Hyderabad, Oct 23 (NationPress) The nominations of 130 candidates for the Jubilee Hills Assembly by-election have been turned down.
According to Returning Officer P. Sairam, out of a total of 211 nominations, 81 have been accepted.
The scrutiny process extended late into Wednesday night due to the high volume of nominations, with the announcement of rejected nominations made Thursday morning.
Of the 321 sets of nominations submitted, only 135 were approved, while the remaining 186 faced rejection.
The nominations of the primary candidates were confirmed as valid.
The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) candidate, Maganti Sunitha, has had her nomination accepted. Allegations by former MLA Maganti Gopinath's wife, Malini Devi, and their son T. Pradhumna Kosaraju claim that Sunitha provided false information in her affidavit. They have called upon the Chief Electoral Officer to dismiss her nomination.
Kosaraju also alleged that Sunitha was in a live-in relationship with his father until his passing. He stated that his mother, Malini Devi, was Gopinath's only legally wedded spouse, with their marriage dating back to April 28, 1998. He emphasized that since Gopinath did not divorce Malini Devi, their marriage remains valid.
BRS leader Gopinath, who secured the Jubilee Hills seat for a third consecutive term in 2023, passed away in June, leading to this by-election.
The nominations of Congress candidate Naveen Yadav and BJP's Lankala Deepak Reddy were also approved by the Returning Officer.
On the final day for filing nominations, 117 candidates submitted their papers, bringing the total to 211.
A significant number of candidates, including farmers impacted by the Regional Ring Road (RRR) project, residents whose homes were reportedly demolished by HYDRAA, farmers, and unemployed youth, submitted their nominations.
These groups aimed to voice their protests against the government over various issues.
The deadline for withdrawing candidacies is Friday. Polling is set for November 11, with vote counting scheduled for November 14.
In the 2023 elections, Gopinath triumphed over former Indian cricket captain and Congress candidate Mohammed Azharuddin by a margin of 16,337 votes.
In a competitive race, Gopinath garnered 80,549 votes while Azharuddin received 64,212 votes. BJP's Deepak Reddy came in third with 25,866 votes.
The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), whose candidate placed fourth in the 2023 elections, is not participating this time, as the party, led by Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, has declared its support for the Congress candidate.