Lok Sabha Polls 2024: Voting begins peacefully in Telangana

After the mock polling at 5:30 am, the actual polling began at 7 am, an official said. According to official sources, a polling percentage of 9.51 was recorded in the first hour.

Hyderabad: Polling for the 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana is underway with voters standing in queues to exercise their franchise on Monday. Polling began at 7 am amid tight security and will end by 6 pm, barring a few places classified as sensitive where it will conclude by 4 pm. The counting of votes will be taken up on June 4 nationwide.

After the mock polling at 5:30 am, the actual polling began at 7 am, an official said. According to official sources, a polling percentage of 9.51 was recorded in the first hour.

---

The Election Commission also made arrangements to conduct a bypoll for the Secunderabad Cantonment Assembly segment to be held simultaneously today. By-poll for Secunderabad Cantonment seat was necessitated following the death of sitting BRS legislator Lasya Nanditha in a road accident in February this year.

Over 3.32 crore voters including around 1.65 crore male, 1.67 crore female and another 2,760 belonging to third gender, are expected to exercise their franchise in 35,809 polling stations across the State.

Considering the scorching temperatures, people lined up for polling in large numbers in early hours itself. Former vice president M Venkaiah Naidu, BJP Telangana president G Kishan Reddy, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, actors Chiranjeevi, Allu Arjun and NTR junior were among the prominent persons who exercised their franchise in the Lok Sabha elections in Telangana on Monday.

Though there were reports of non-functioning of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) at a few places, the election staff swung into action and replaced them to ensure smooth functioning of the polling.

In all, 525 candidates are in the fray for all Lok Sabha seats in the State. Secunderabad constituency has a maximum number of candidates at 45, while Adilabad (ST) constituency has lowest number at 12.

Telangana State Chief Electoral Officer Vikas Raj, and other top officials are monitoring the situation. A total 2.94 lakh personnel including nearly one lakh personnel from the uniformed services are on the poll duty.

Telangana recorded 62 per cent voter turnout in the 2019 Parliamentary elections. The BRS (then TRS) won nine seats, BJP secured four, Congress bagged three and AIMIM retained one seat in the 2019 general elections.