HYDERABAD: In the run-up to the high-stakes Jubilee Hills by-election results, underground betting networks across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have gone into overdrive, with wagers reportedly exceeding Rs 10 lakh, according to sources.
Punters have placed massive bets on the outcome, with odds strongly favouring Congress candidate Naveen Yadav over BRS nominee Maganti Sunitha. Individual wagers in Hyderabad, Warangal and Bheemavaram circles reportedly ranged from Rs 10,000 to over Rs 20 lakh each.
Bets on the BRS candidate were being offered at 1:4 odds, meaning a Rs 25,000 stake would return Rs 1 lakh if Sunitha won, while wagers on the Congress side stood at 1:2 odds, offering double returns on a Yadav victory. In Andhra’s Bheemavaram market, bettors were backing the Congress to win by a 25,000–30,000 vote margin, while Hyderabad-based circles predicted a tighter 8,000–10,000 vote lead.
Sources said that beyond traditional punters, several small financiers and businessmen have joined the betting pools, routing money through intermediaries. Operations are believed to be active in Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Bheemavaram and Khammam, with transactions flowing via informal hawala networks and encrypted messaging groups. Late-night clubs and private societies have become hubs for these illegal wagers.
Though political betting is banned, it continues to flourish during the Telangana elections. Enforcement agencies have struggled to track the flow of funds, as most transactions are carried out through coded digital payments and cash handovers in private venues. Police sources admitted that while no formal cases have been registered yet, covert betting networks are active across both Telugu states.
