Jubilee Hills By poll | Hyderabad, Oct 26: The Jubilee Hills Assembly by-election has moved into a critical phase with the completion of nominations withdrawal and finalization of 58 candidates.
The Election Commission (EC) has allotted official contest symbols to all candidates, sparking concern and renewed tension among Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders over lookalike symbols allotted to rival candidates.
BRS is once again worried about the allocation of symbols resembling its iconic car.
Jubilee Hills By polls: BRS faces renewed tension
Party leaders argue that similar icons allotted to independents and minor party candidates—such as road roller, chapati maker, soap box, tractor, autorickshaw, TV, sewing machine, ship, dolly, and camera—make it difficult for voters, especially elderly and visually-impaired citizens, to distinguish the official car symbol from similar options on the ballot.
The party has consistently petitioned the central Election Commission to cancel these lookalike symbols, citing previous elections where such confusion allegedly impacted poll outcomes.
On the Jubilee Hills bypoll ballot, the BJP’s Lamkal Deepak Reddy gets the first position (lotus symbol), Congress’s Naveen Yadav takes the second spot (hand symbol), and BRS’s Maganti Sunitha Gopinath lands third (car symbol).
Party fears confusion among voters over car-like symbols in ballot
Other places feature similar icons: soap dish at 5th, chapati roller at 9th, road roller at 13th, camera at 21st, ship at 28th, and TV at 54th spot. Since a single ballot unit can display up to 16 names along with symbols and photos, the first EVM will show several “car-like” symbols along with BRS’s own car icon.
Political observers note that this symbol similarity controversy is not new.
In past elections, lookalike symbols have reportedly altered poll results, especially for BRS. The party now faces a repeat scenario, as its candidate—determined to retain the seat—must overcome the challenge of brand confusion among Jubilee Hills voters.
As the campaign heats up, all eyes remain on how BRS navigates the dense field and the “symbol syndrome.”
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