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Voting has begun in Telangana on Thursday, with tight security arrangements in place at polling booths to prevent any untoward activities. Vote counting is scheduled for December 3 of this year.
Hyderabad: With an estimated 63.94 per cent voter turnout in an election where exit poll results were trying to seal the fate of parties even before all the ballot boxes were sealed, Telangana witnessed what is widely considered the fiercest poll battle since its formation. The BRS was trying to retain power for a consecutive third term in the state, while the opposition Congress mounted an all-out effort to unseat the incumbent.
Keen on forming its government, the BJP has also conducted an elaborate campaign with a host of top party leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing rallies in the state.
The BRS has been in power since 2014 when the previous UPA government at the Centre carved Telangana out of Andhra Pradesh.
The election was peaceful except for a few incidents of minor skirmishes. TV visuals showed party workers of the BRS and the Congress arguing with each other at some polling stations in districts. However, police later dispersed them.
The polling began at 7 AM amid tight security and it concluded at 4 PM in 13 Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected constituencies, while the process ended at 5 PM in the 106 other segments.
However, those who were in queue at closing time were allowed to cast their vote.
The counting of votes would be taken up on December 3.
Dismissing some survey reports that BRS is going to lose, party working president K T Rama Rao, son of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, expressed confidence about the party’s win.
“I promise you, for those of you, who are friends of BRS and want KCR to come back from the state. I promise you on December 3 we are coming back. We are coming back anywhere between 70+ seats (out of the total 119 segments),” he said.
Though the BRS expected to win 88 seats, it will get over 70 seats in view of “some problems here and there”.