Assembly Elections: Telangana records nearly 70% voter turnout, lowest in Hyderabad

After a power-packed campaign featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and BRS leader K Chandrasekar Rao, Telangana, the youngest Indian state, voted on Thursday to select 119 members for the State Legislative Assembly. Over 3.26 crore voters cast their votes in 35,655 polling stations across the state.

Hyderabad: Telangana voted on Thursday to choose its lawmakers for the 119-member assembly in a triangular contest between the ruling BRS, Congress and the BJP.

A total of 2,290 candidates including 221 women and one transgender contested from over 100 parties including the national, regional and recognised parties besides over 900 Independents. The counting of votes will happen on December 3.

Over 3.26 crore electors exercised their franchise at 35655 polling stations from 7 AM till 5 PM. The polling ended by 4 PM at 13 left-wing extremism-affected constituencies. Elaborate security arrangements were made for the polling.

As many as 375 companies of central armed forces and 50 companies of State special police besides 45,000 police personnel and over 23,000 home guards from the neighbouring states were deployed across the state. The deployment of central forces was done at over 12000 sensitive polling station areas.

• 8.30 pm

As per the updated numbers shared by the Election Commission of India, Telangana recorded a voter turnout of 69.57 percent with Yadadri Bhongiri district recording the highest (90.03 percent) turnout and Hyderabad district the lowest (42.90 percent). The numbers will further change when ECI logs in the final data.

• 5.30 pm
  63.94 per cent voters have cast their votes till 5 pm, as Assembly Election came to an end on Thursday evening. The Election Commission's provisional data showed 51.89 per cent voters have cast their votes till 3 pm, which was 36.68 per till 1 pm, 20.64 per cent at 11 am, and 8.52 per cent after the first two hours into voting. Hyderabad's figures were hovering around 40, the least in the state, while Medak accounted for the highest turnout with over 80 per cent casting their votes.
• 4.30 pm
  Polling ends peacefully in 13 seats affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE) at 4 pm, as scheduled. Those who were in queue to cast their votes at the time of 4 pm in these seats were permitted to exercise their franchise. Police said there were no untoward incidents in these areas. According to Chief Electoral Officer, Vikas Raj, polling passed off peacefully barring minor skirmishes at a couple of places. Polling opened at 7 am in all the 119 assembly constituencies.
• 3.50 pm
  51.89 per cent voters have cast their votes till 3 pm, as per the Election Commission's provisional data. It was 36.68 per cent across the state till 1 pm, during which the highest and least turnout were recorded in Medak district (50.8) and Hyderabad (20.79). It was 20.64 per cent at 11 am, at which Adilabad district surged past 30 per cent, the highest in the state, while that of Hyderabad which remained least hovered around 12 per cent. It was 8.52 per cent after the first two hours into voting, with Adilabad recording 13.5 per cent, the highest, and Hyderabad, the least, with nearly 5 per cent by 9 am.
• 3.21 pm
  Union minister and BJP state president G Kishan Reddy has written to the EC alleging Telangana police to be working in tandem with the ruling BRS on election day. He also cited the Janagaon incident where he accused the police of supporting the BRS candidates in their 'electoral malpractices'. In his letter to the EC, Reddy rued that the BRS candidates and workers were illegally moving in and around polling booths in large numbers while the state police personnel played mute spectators. “The police are threatening the BJP workers to implicate them with false cases. In the Amberpet constituency, the BRS candidate and his son were found openly distributing money and no action has been taken so far. Police are openly helping BRS workers in conducting free and fair polls,” the union minister said.
• 2.59 pm
  Kondal Reddy rubbished the claims saying that he is a general agent who can visit all booths as per the provisions of law. He also accused the BRS workers of targeting him and his family. Reddy said the BRS workers stopped his vehicle when he came to visit a polling booth and that they tried to attack him. He said the Congress workers were travelling with him and the BRS workers' vehicles had been tailing his car for the past 2-3 hours. He also said that he has brought it to the knowledge of the Superintendent of Police in Kamareddy.
• 2.38 pm
  Congress president Revanth Reddy's brother Kondal Reddy was stopped by BRS workers from visiting polling booths in Kamareddy district. The BRS accused Kondal Reddy of roaming with a fake pass and interacting with the Returning Officer. The ruling party also took exception to the people accompanying him and accused him of going to three polling stations in three vehicles without any checks by the police. A BRS worker said they caught the people accompanying Reddy and handed them over to the police. But they were released in the next 10 minutes, the worker said, adding that they will be lodging a complaint with the Election Commission.
• 2.17 pm
  Actor Vijay Deverakonda urged the electorate of Telangana to come out in large numbers to cast their vote considering the low polling percent. "I heard that the polling percentage is a little low. I request all the young guys, who have their voting ID and election card to come and vote. Come with your families and vote, you should do it," Deverakonda said after he cast his vote here in Hyderabad. Leading actors from Tollywood began lining up to the polling booths from the morning to cast their votes. Actors Chiranjeevi, NTR, Allu Arjun, Ram Charan,
• 1.49 pm
  Voter turnout till 1 pm recorded by the Election Commission's provisional data was 36.68 per cent across the state. Medak district recorded the highest at 50.8 per cent while Hyderabad reported the least turnout with 20.79 per cent. It was 20.64 per cent at 11 am, at which Adilabad district surged past 30 per cent, the highest in the state, while that of Hyderabad which remained least hovered around 12 per cent. It was 8.52 per cent after the first two hours into voting, with Adilabad recording 13.5 per cent, the highest, and Hyderabad, the least, with nearly 5 per cent by 9 am.
• 1.11 pm
  Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya casts his vote in Hyderabad. "I have always voted since 1983. Voting is very important to further strengthen our democracy," he said, after he cast his vote.
• 12.49 pm
  Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao cast his vote at a polling booth in Medak district on Thursday as polling for the 119-member assembly is underway. CM Rao and his wife, Shobha Rao, cast their votes at a polling station in Chintamadaka, Siddipet.
• 12.30 pm
  BRS leader and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekar Rao and his wife Shobha Rao arrived at the polling station in Chintamadaka, Siddipet to cast their votes. The CM and his wife cast their votes in Medak district.
• 12 pm
  BRS working president Minister K T Rama Rao cast his vote at Nandi Nagar in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, along with his wife Shailima. After he cast his vote, he wrote a post in X, formerly twitter, saying that his party is surging ahead. "Getting reports from all over the state. Car in Top Gear. Jai Telangana(sic)."
• 11.30 am
  Approximate voter turnout registered till 11 am stood at 20.64 per cent, as per the Election Commission data. Adilabad district recorcded over 30 per cent, the highest in the state, and Hyderabad, the least turnout, with 12 per cent. The overall turnout in the state stood at 8.52 per cent after first two hours into voting. Adilabad recorded 13.5 per cent while Hyderabad was limping towards 5 per cent at 9 am.
• 11 am
  Do not get lured by liquor, Union minister G Kishan Reddy told the media after he cast his vote at a polling station in Barkatpura of Hyderabad. Reddy, who holds the portfolio of Culture, Tourism and Development of North Eastern Region, was confident that his party would get a majority to form the government in Telangana. Reddy is also the state unit chief of BJP, added that his party will not require any support from other parties. He urged the people not to get influenced by liquor while voting. “I appeal to the public to fulfil their responsibility. I want to tell the public that today is the chance to choose your government. People should look at the candidate or party, not be lured by liquor and other things," he said.
• 10.38 am
  A minor scuffle broke out among the party workers of Congress, BJP and BRS at a polling station in Janagaon district. Police deployed for security reined in to ensure that the polling continued peacefully. "The situation was brought under control," said a senior police official posted in the polling station. Sources said Congress workers were involved in the attack as they found a man allegedly trying to enter into a poll booth where he doesn’t have a vote.
• 10.15 am
  AIMIM MP and party chief Asaduddin Owaisi cast his vote in Hyderabad earlier in the day. Speaking to reporters outside the polling booth, he urged the people to exercise their franchise. "I urge the people of Telangana to exercise their right to vote to strengthen democracy. It is very important that those living in urban areas vote, not think of this day as a holiday. If you vote, the accountability of the politicians will also increase. First-time voters have a great responsibility to fulfil."
• 9.58 am
  All are capable of becoming CM in our party, Congress state unit chief Revanth Reddy told the media after he cast his vote. He was talking to the media after he cast his vote. He said the custom is that the newly elected party legislators would have to elect the Congress Legislature Party leader. It will be done after the elections are over and the party's swearing-in will be held on December 3, 2023.
• 9.38 am
  Polling percentage up to 9 am in all the 119 assembly constituencies stood at 8.52, as per the Election Commission data. The highest turnout was witnessed in the Adilabad district which recorded 13.5 per cent while the state capital recorded the least turnout of nearly 5 per cent.
• 8.55 am
  Congress lodged a complaint against BRS MLC K Kavitha accusing her of violating the model code of conduct for "seeking votes for her party" on polling day. Telangana Congress leader G Niranjan who lodged the complaint said Kavitha appealed to the people to vote for BRS, during her press interaction.
• 8.27 am
  BRS MLC and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter K Kavitha cast her vote on Thursday morning. She appealed to the 'urban voters' to exercise their franchise. "Especially to the young men and women, I sincerely appeal to you to please come and vote. Today is not a holiday; it is a day to participate in and strengthen democracy," ANI quoted Kavitha as saying when she came out of the polling station.
• 8.15 am
  Voting halted for nearly 30 minutes at Booth No. 253, R&B Building in Kamareddy Assembly constituency due to a malfunction of the EVM machine here. The polling resumed after the officials fixed the fault in the machine as per the procedures.
• 7.25 am
  Actor Allu Arjun cast his vote in Hyderabad's Jubilee Hills area. He stood in the queue along with other denizens and cast his vote. He was seen interacting with the other voters while the lensmen tracked him from outside the booth to till he cast his vote.
• 7.20 am
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi sends out a post in X, formerly known as Twitter, asking his fellow citizens living in Telangana to cast their votes. "I call upon my sisters and brothers of Telangana to vote in record numbers and strengthen the festival of democracy. I particularly urge young and first-time voters to exercise their franchise."
• 7.10 am
  Congress leader Mohammad Azharuddin leaves from his residence to cast his vote at a polling booth in Errum Manzil area of Hyderabad. He cast his vote early.
• 7 am
  Voting begins in all the polling stations across the state.
• 6.45 am
  Mock polls were conducted in all the 35655 polling stations ahead of the actual voting which will begin later at 7 am today. The polled numbers were tallied with the votes they counted and the EVMs were reset to zero in order to be used in the actual polling. The mock polls were conducted in the presence of polling agents of the political parties and the independents.
• 6.30 am
  The poll parties left for the designated polling stations from the facilitation centres in Hyderabad and other district headquarters on Wednesday. Besides model polling stations, the election authorities have set up fully women-operated and fully Divyang-operated polling stations with a determination to increase the turnout for polling, especially in the Hyderabad district.
• 6 am
  Among the key personalities who are in the fray include, BRS Chief and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, BRS working president Taraka Ramarao, BJP Lok Sabha members B Sanjay Kumar, Soyam Bapurao and Arvind Kumar, Congress Lok Sabha Members Revanth Reddy, Uttam Kumar Reddy and Komati Reddy Venkat Reddy, MIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi and over 100 sitting MLAs are seeking election for the third Assembly of Telangana State.

Here are some key facts related to this election

1. The number of voters in the age group of 18-19 years is 9,99,667.
2. Liquor shops will be closed till 5 pm on election day.
3. Special arrangements at polling stations for the disabled. 21,686 wheelchairs prepared by officials
4. Free transport facility for above 80 years
5. Voter slips and sample ballots in Braille
6. 644 model polling stations to increase voter turnout
7. 120 polling stations will be operated by disabled persons
8. 597 polling stations will be operated by women

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