LS polls: Telangana records 52.34 per cent voter turnout till 3 PM

Hyderabad: Telangana recorded an approximate voter turnout of 52.34 per cent till 3 pm on Monday as polling was underway for 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state, according to an Election Commission app.

Polling which began at 7 am will end by 6 pm, barring at a few places where it will conclude two hours earlier.

No law and order problems had been reported till noon, state Chief Electoral Officer Vikas Raj said.

“We are hoping that our poll percentages will be quite good compared to the 2019 Parliament elections,” he said.

He said an enquiry is going on into some complaints that have been received.

Meanwhile, the Collector of Hyderabad district said on ‘X’ that a case is registered in Malakpet Police Station against BJP candidate Madhavi Latha under different sections of the IPC and the Representation of the People Act.

This follows an allegation that she checked the identity of burqa-clad women voters by asking them to show their faces.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy exercised his franchise in his Assembly constituency of Kodangal in Vikarabad district.

Speaking to mediapersons in Kodangal, Reddy alleged that the BJP is misusing Central agencies for electoral benefit.

Referring to the case registered by Delhi police over a doctored video of Union Home Minister Amit Shah being circulated in social media, he said how can Delhi police issue notices to him when he is not aware of its content and other details.

Referring to leaders, including Ajit Pawar, Kumaraswamy and others of JD(S) joining hands with BJP, he claimed that PM Modi does not have the moral right to talk about corruption.

On Modi’s allegation that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was not talking about ‘Adani-Ambani’, he said the PM can send ED, IT and CBI to “raid Adani-Ambani residence and office places”.

“When they are sending trucks of rupees to the Congress party, why are you not taking action against Adani – Ambani,” he asked.

He also alleged that the BJP is trying to “polarise Muslim votes to make (AIMIM’s) Asaduddin Owaisi win”.

Meanwhile, BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao voted in his native village of Chintamadaka in Siddipet district.

Former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, film actors Chiranjeevi, Allu Arjun and Junior NTR were among the prominent persons who voted.

BJP general secretary Bandi Sanjay Kumar and the party candidate from Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat K Madhavi Latha also exercised their franchise.

Polling was also underway in the Secunderabad Cantonment assembly constituency. The bypoll witnessed 39.92 per cent voting till 3 pm.

The bypoll was necessitated due to the death of sitting BRS MLA G Lasya Nanditha in a road accident a few months ago.