Glamour missing as Jubilee Hills bypoll sees poor turnout from Tollywood

Jubilee Hills by-election saw minimal participation from Tollywood celebrities, despite expectations of a star-studded affair. While some personalities like Gopichand and SS Rajamouli voted, many known film artists abstained, raising questions about celebrity engagement in civic duties

Hyderabad: Jubilee Hills bypoll held on Tuesday witnessed a subdued presence of glamour, as there was a notably poor turnout of movie artists. Despite expectations of a star-studded affair, the event saw minimal participation from the film fraternity, casting a shadow over the anticipated glitz.

Though Tollywood personalities like Gopichand, SS Rajamouli, Tanikella Bharani and other character artists cast their votes, there were many known names who stood away.

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Film industry workers were crucial in the bypoll. The Yousufguda division of Jubilee Hills constituency, areas like Krishnanagar, Srinagar Colony, and Rahmath Nagar division have a significant number of film artists, estimated to account for about 22,000 votes. Candidates from the three main parties have good relations with the film industry, making the allegiance of these workers a point of interest.

In fact, the 2023 general elections witnessed an immense response from Tollywood artists, but the bypoll saw a lacklustre turnout, with many movie artists choosing to stay away from the voting booths.

The district election office had made extensive arrangements to ensure a smooth voting process, but the expected star power was missing. This low participation from the film industry raised questions about the engagement of celebrities in civic duties.

“The poor turnout from the movie artists overshadowed the event, leaving many to wonder about the reasons behind their absence,” a poll duty official opined.