Telangana Elections Live: Voting For 119 Seats Underway

In a face-off with the leaders of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee President (TPCC), K Venkata Ramana Reddy, a leader from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), expressed his certainty on Thursday that he will emerge victorious in the Kamareddy Assembly Constituency. The Kamareddy constituency in the 2023 Telangana Assembly elections will witness a competition between key candidates such as Venkata Ramana Reddy from the BJP, Revanth Reddy from the Congress, and K Chandrasekhar Rao from the BRS.

Telangana AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi has participated in the voting process in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad.

Earlier today, there were reports of clashes at a polling booth in Huzurnagar, located in the Suryapet district.

Telugu actor Mahesh Babu cast his vote at a polling booth in Hyderabad's Jubilee Hills.

#WATCH | Telangana Elections | Actor Mahesh Babu cast his vote at a polling booth in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad today. pic.twitter.com/SrsJky2FDk

— ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2023

Governor of Tripura Indra Sena Reddy Nallu and his wife Renuka cast their votes and showed their inked fingers at a polling booth in Hyderabad.

While speaking to media persons, Indra Sena Reddy said, "This is voters' day...If you want to keep democracy alive you have to cast your votes. Don't think of it as a holiday... I request voters to come and utilize their votes."

A total of 36.68 percent voter turnout was was recorded till 1 pm in Telangana.

Telangana recorded 20.64 % and Hyderabad recorded 12.39 % voter turnout till 11 am.

A clash broke out at a poling booth of the Jangaon Assembly Constituency in Telangana while voting was underway today. The clash reportedly erupted between the workers of the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi, Congress and BJP. Reports have stated that the situation was brought under control after a police contingent reached the spot.

As of 9 am, a voter turnout of 8.52 % was recorded.

The voting process at Booth No. 253, R&B Building in Kamareddy Assembly constituency of Telangana Elections has been paused for the past 30 minutes. This interruption is a result of a malfunction in the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) at the location.

Actor Allu Arjun casted his vote at a polling station located in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X on Thursday to urge people to turn out and vote in large numbers across Telangana.

"I call upon my brothers and sisters in Telangana to vote in record numbers and strengthen the festival of democracy. I especially urge the youth, especially first-time voters, to exercise their right to vote," he said.

Voting commenced amidst extensive preparations across all 119 Assembly constituencies in Telangana on Thursday morning, with polling stations open from 7 am to 6 pm.

The elections for the 119 seats in Telangana are scheduled for Thursday. The competition will be among three major parties - Congress, BJP, and the ruling BRS. In anticipation of the polls, Anudeep Durishetty, the district collector of Hyderabad, has announced a holiday for all educational institutions on November 29 and 30.

"In view of the Telangana Assembly Elections 2023, all educational institutions in Hyderabad district will remain closed on November 29 and 30. Regular activities will resume on December 1," Durishetty posted on X.

Before the state assembly elections in Telangana on Thursday, election officials in Nizamabad are currently receiving the necessary polling materials.

#WATCH | Telangana Elections | Polling material is being distributed to the election officials in Nizamabad ahead of the state assembly elections that will be held on November 30. pic.twitter.com/6MJ6vmiQNE

— ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2023

Approximately 18% of the candidates running for the assembly elections in five states have disclosed having criminal cases against them, while 29% of them are considered 'crorepatis' (millionaires), as per a report published on Tuesday. The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), a think-tank, analyzed the self-declared affidavits of 8,051 out of the 8,054 candidates participating in the elections in Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Telangana, as reported by PTI.

During the final day of campaigning, Telangana Chief Minister KCR made a heartfelt plea to the citizens of the state. He expressed his desire for the state's development, emphasizing that positions of power are not his priority as he approaches the age of 70. Additionally, he criticized Congress leaders for their promise to reinstate the rule of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, known as Indiramma Rajyam, if they were to win the election in Telangana.

Telangana is drawing attention as it prepares for elections tomorrow. The state is witnessing a competition between Congress, BJP, and the ruling BRS party. Congress and BJP have been actively campaigning, raising concerns of the people, while BRS leaders are confident in their program delivery. All parties have made significant promises in their manifestos.

In the meantime, voting has concluded in the remaining four states - Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, and Rajasthan. The results for a total of 679 seats across these five states will be announced on Sunday, December 3.